What is Love Anyways?
by Rennwolf
Summary: -Set after the events in The Real Enemy- Being in love is hard. Having a one-sided soulmate is harder. But having a soulmate who doesn't even believe in soulmates is the hardest. Oh, and don't forget about the intergalactic war.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Shiro, how do humans court each other?"

"Uh… What?"

It had been two weeks since Keith had become an official member of team Voltron piloting the Red lion. Two weeks of hard training and team bonding that he can't say he didn't enjoy a least a little bit. Though, not without a good amount of complaining.

They had been fortunate enough not to have encountered any large Galra battlecruisers in that time. As such they had been able to focus on freeing outlying planets from Galra influence. Keith had become accustom to the team and Red and finally felt completely at home on the castle of lions.

Ever since then he had been trying to find the right moment to ask one of the humans about their courting traditions.

Any human, except Lance. If he was going to do this right he had to know how to court him and he wouldn't be doing a very good job if he had to ask Lance what to do next every step of the way.

He figured that Shiro was the most rational choice as he was the oldest, so he guessed he should start there.

The thing was, usually where there was one there was also another. And if it wasn't another human it was an Altean. But today he had found Shiro alone, exiting the showers after he finished some additional solo training.

"Courting. I believe Lance once called it dating?" Keith added, hoping that it cleared things up. He was just trying not to let his blush show. It was a little bit embarrassing having to ask someone about courting.

"Oh… um." Shiro awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck as he looked around Keith, as if he was planning his escape. "I'm not really the one you should be asking about that sort of thing."

"Why not?" Keith took a half step over to block more of the hallway. He _had_ to get this information.

"I'm just- you know, not good with that sort of thing." Shiro stuttered out. Keith cocked his head to the side curiously, waiting. Shiro sighed defeatedly. "I don't know much."

"You know more than me, that much is sure." Keith persisted. Shiro huffed and waved his arm in a 'follow me' motion as he turned back the way he came.

As they walked he spoke. "With humans things are… Complicated at best. Usually the man asks the woman to go on a date- though the woman could ask if she wanted, its just not as common. Then they go somewhere or do something together and talk."

"It is strange that the man must make the first move. It's not like that with the Galra." Shiro only hummed in response as he walked into the kitchen where Hunk was cooking up multiple meals at once, making enough to feed the whole team for a least a week.

"Hey Hunk, Keith has a question about humans and I'm… um… not very equip to handle it." Shiro said vaguely as he began to back out of the kitchen.

 _Wait!_ Keith thought. He had gone through all of the trouble tracking down Shiro because he thought he would be the most reasonable choice. He was the oldest so obviously he was the most likely to have the answers that Keith needed and Keith knew that he could be trusted to keep a secret.

The same could not be said about Hunk.

Don't get him wrong, Hunk was his friend and all but… Well, he was a terrible gossip.

"What could Keith need to know that you don't Shiro?" Hunk asked as he wiped his hands on his apron. There were words written across the white fabric in green marker that Hunk had once told him said, "I can give you dinner _and_ a show"

"Oh, Keith can tell you that but I'm just beat-" Shiro yawned and stretched his arms in the air. Keith wasn't convinced and narrowed his eyes at him. "So, I'm going to go now." Before anyone could say other-wise he was gone, booking it out of the door very unlike the tired man he was pretending to be.

"What 'chu need?" Hunk pulled Keith's attention back towards him. Keith bit his lip, trying to decide his next course of action. "Don't think about it so hard." Hunk laughed.

"I'm not!" Keith defended, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. Hunk only laughed harder.

"Lance was right, you _are_ a terrible liar."

Keith's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he pouted his lip out. Everyone on the ship had said that to him at least once and he couldn't figure out how they saw so easily through him. He never had problems getting away with little white lies at the blade but the humans here were relentless.

"Whatever. I'm leaving." Keith turned fully prepared to make his way back to his room if Hunk kept teasing him.

"Wait, I want to know what had Shiro so scared." Hunk's steady steps indicated that he was following Keith.

He took a breath, deciding that he couldn't wait any longer so he might as well bite the bullet and get on with it.

"I asked Shiro about human courting traditions." Keith said as he turned around to face Hunk.

Hunk gave him a blank look for just a moment before letting out a loud 'Oh!' His lips turned up in a smile and then he said, "You mean dating!"

"Yes- dating or whatever you humans call it. I need to know how it works back on earth." Keith tried not to get frustrated so early in the conversation but he was a little bit embarrassed and just wanted to get the information and leave.

"Okay, I'll tell you." Hunk said as he turned back to his food.

"Great I really-"

"But first you have to tell me why you want to know." Hunk grinned evilly and Keith briefly thought that he had been corrupted by Pidge.

Shiro didn't seem to be willing to help him and Pidge was the only other available human on board… It would probably be better for him to just answer Hunk rather than risking any of Pidge's demands.

Keith bit his lip before letting out a puff of air in defeat. "I need to know so that I can…"

"Go on, don't stop now." Hunk egged him on.

"…So that I can… Court a human." Keith chickened out at the last second. Hunk was Lance's best friend. He was sure that as soon as he told him he would go running to Lance and mess everything up.

His life was on the line after all. He had to do this right, he couldn't risk being rejected by his Kalan.

"Ah-ah-ah." Hunk waggled his finger at Keith before he pulled something out of the space oven. "Which human?" He gave him a grin and Keith thought momentarily that _he must know_ because there were only four humans on the ship and it wasn't very hard to narrow down the options.

"Don't make me say it." Keith asked, looking up at him with big eyes as his ears flattened against his head. Hunk's mischievous gaze broke for a moment before it caved and he whined.

"No fair, you can't use puppy dog eyes on me."

Keith pouted his lip out to add to the look.

"No! You're worse than Lance." He complained as he began to put the food he had taken out of the oven in containers for storage. "I'll tell you about dating, just cut that out." Keith nodded and pulled a stool out from under the counter. Hunk passed him some of the full containers and Keith began to stack them on top of each other.

"First off, you gotta ask the person you want to 'court' out on a date." Keith nodded. Shiro had said that much at least. Keith stacked his tenth container and walked over towards the wall, where he pushed in a hidden panel and a shelving unit made itself visible.

"What do you do on dates?" He asked as he put the stack onto the shelf. It fit in perfectly.

"Well, it depends on what's available, who you are taking on a date in the first place, and how much time you have. But really its just important that you think about what your date would want to do in the first place."

Keith looked at the ground as he thought, trying to think of what Lance would want.

"For example," Hunk continued, "If it were Pidge you would want to take her somewhere with cool technology she had never seen before like a museum. If it were me then somewhere without mean Galra, maybe even a restaurant or something. For Lance," He paused, gauging Keith's reaction. Keith stopped stacking his containers and waited for Hunk to continue attentively. "Lance would probably want to go somewhere with games or things to explore. Or rain." Hunk turned his attention away from the food, nodding to himself. "Definitely somewhere with rain."

Keith frowned slightly. _Rain? How was he going to do that?_

"Are dates the only part of human courting?" Keith asked, taking the last container from Hunk and stacking it in the shelves before closing the panel.

"No… well, sort of." Hunk pulled out two 'popsicles' from the Altean freezer, handing one to Keith. Keith took the orange treat and gave it a lick as he waited for Hunk to continue. "When two people are dating they will care for each other. They might get each other little gifts from time to time if they see something that reminds them of the other. If one of them is having a bad day the other might notice and pay more attention to them. It's a lot of little things really." Keith nodded as Hunk sat in the stool across from him, eating his own popsicle.

"If two people are dating then no one else can date them at the same time, right? It's just those two?"

Hunk nodded.

"And then after they've dated for a while they can become mates, correct?"

Hunk narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Mates?" He muttered to himself. "I think you mean that once two people have dated for a while and really like each other then they can get married."

"What's that mean?"

"It's basically the closest you can be to someone. That's the 'final' relationship. One of the people dating will offer a ring to the other and if it is accepted then they can be married."

"Once two people are married can they become un-married?" Keith asked. He was pretty sure he already knew that answer, but he had to ask anyways.

A sad smile made its way to Hunks lips. "Yes. It's called divorce. Back on earth a lot of people did that because the person they married would change or they would decide that they wanted to be with someone else. Honestly though, with the human you are trying to court it will probably be fine. He wouldn't accept marriage if he wasn't ready, so there would be no chance of divorce. He would want to be 100 percent sure first."

So, Hunk did know who he was talking about. But this was also bad news. He ran the risk of rejection if Lance didn't think he was ready. He would just have to make sure that he was the best date ever.

"Hunk, you won't tell him, right? I have to do this right." He gave Hunk a hard, determined stare.

"God, you act like it's a life and death situation here." Hunk laughed.

 _Ha. Act._

"Yeah." Keith finished off his popsicle, tossing the leftover stick into the trash. "Thanks Hunk."

"You got it." Hunk waved him off as Keith left the kitchen.

 _Well that went better than expected._ Keith turned towards the paladin's rooms. It looked like he had some planning to do.

…

"Today we will be going down to planet Genopile. It has a relatively light Galra presence; mostly because it is a desert planet and lacks a large population." Allura pointed out a few spots near the top of the black and orange planet that were highlighted- indicating where they would be attacking.

"Do we have a game plan?" Pidge asked, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Yes, we will be doing the same thing we did on planet XR7." Pidge nodded her head in understanding.

Keith glanced at Lance from his seat. He was paying attention, leaning his head on one of his propped-up hands as he stared intently at the planet for a moment.

"We will start the mission as soon as you are all ready to go." Allura nodded her head and they were dismissed to go and change into their armor.

"Pidge," Hunk nudged her as they all walked to the armor room. He was trying to be quiet, but the group was so close together that there wasn't much privacy.

"Yes?" Pidge asked.

"Uh, what did we do back on planet RX7?"

Pidge groaned. "XR7 Hunk."

"Right, that."

"Hunk," Shiro stepped in. "If you didn't remember what we did you should have spoken up sooner so that Allura could go over it again."

"Yeah I know but…" Shiro sighed.

"You three go ahead, I'll catch Hunk up." Shiro waved them forward.

They continued on.

"Finally, it's not me." Lance muttered beside Keith. Keith turned his gaze towards the brown skinned young man.

"Not you?"

"Damn your super hearing." Lance narrowed his eyes at Keith's ears. "What I meant was that it wasn't me who 'didn't get it' this time." Keith frowned.

"But you usually know what's going on."

"It doesn't always feel like it." Lance glanced down to his feet for a moment and sighed. Keith nudged him with his shoulder.

"Well, at least you know all that human stuff you guys go on about. I almost never know what you all are talking about when something like that comes up." Keith offered a smile and took the last few steps into the armor room.

"Well, whenever Chorrol visits I don't understand your Galra jibber jabber so I guess we are even." Keith grunted in agreeance and grabbed his armor, heading into the same changing room directly behind it.

Once changed he summoned his bayard and gave his sword a few experimental swipes. When he was satisfied he put it back into the leg of his armor. Before he left the changing room he grabbed his mother's dagger, which he had brought with him, and put it into the sheath on his belt.

"Hurry up Keith, the planet will be dead by the time you're done!" Lance yelled from the other side of the door. Keith rolled his eyes and left the room.

Lance nodded to him in greeting before turning heel in walking away. Keith trying not to stare but… Well Lance's wide shoulders and narrow frame just kept pulling his gaze back, no matter how hard he tried to look away.

Suddenly there was a strong push against his side. It wasn't anything that could knock him over but it was enough to grab his attention. He turned towards Pidge who was darting her eyes between Lance and Keith as if she was trying to speak without actually saying anything. Keith watched her for a moment more before shrugging.

"I don't know what that means." He whispered. Pidge set her jaw and rolled her eyes.

"Of course, you don't." Pidge faced forwards and left him be after that.

When they had almost reached the bridge, they saw Hunk and Shiro still talking but they were beginning to make their way towards the armor room. Shiro gave them a nod as they passed but Hunk seemed fully focused (and slightly confused) on what Shiro was telling him.

When they reached the bridge Allura asked where the other two were. "They're coming, just ran into a problem, but Shiro is handling it." Pidge answered.

Allura nodded and turned back to her station, reading the endless information that popped up on her monitor.

Keith sat himself into his chair, pulling up his own readouts about the planet, intending on being as prepared as possible. Allura had managed to configure his monitor to output information in Galra characters so that he would be able to read it.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Lance lounge back in his chair, one leg propped up over his other knee while he rested his head against a closed fist. The foot that was over his knee wiggled impatiently.

Pidge was on her computer, typing furiously. She was sitting hunched over the laptop screen, her glassed gleaming with the reflection.

 _Stop getting distracted._ A voice in his head mused. He sighed, knowing that it was right. He redirected his attention to his monitor, reading over some features of the planet.

"Planet Genopile is highly dry and hot. It is covered in black deserts and dry cracked earth. The only inhabitable area is the top of the planet where the sun is unable to reach most of the period. Water is scarce and often used in bartering by the inhabitants know as the Genopians. Sandstorms plague these areas as the soil is looser and closer in texture to sand. Earthquakes are also an issue on the east side of the inhabitable zone.

"Genopians live underground where the temperature is cooler and find much of their food in those tunnels. Ground worms and Kanics make up most of their diet. To see in the dark underground they mine polenit stones, which are native only to Genopile. These stones glow in the dark and once a species touches one it can read its biochemical make up. Once read it will produce hormones and bio chemicals that the species requires and or lacks. These stones are highly valued for their medicinal uses as well." Keith read silently to himself.

Those must be what the Galra are after. He was about to mention this to Allura but Shiro and Hunk came in before he could speak and Allura was waving them towards their lions.

 _Oh well. It will be fine._

"Alright! Let's do this!" Lance exclaimed excitedly. Keith felt his heart beat a little harder when he looked at his smiling face before it disappeared to his lion.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I'm back :3**

 **Sorry it took a little longer than expected. I have zero time management skills and I wanted to go back through the first one first for editing and memory refreshing reasons. So thanks for sticking with me!**

 **Anyways, this was kind of an introduction chapter, but things are going to heat up really soon.**

 **Also as always, if you want to talk to me or scream at me you can comment! If you want to have a good ole conversation about the story or anything in general you can find me at renncandraw on my tumblr- on insta/DA/Ko-fi my username is the same!**

 **Luv ya! ya gremlins!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Let's go!" Shiro said hurriedly as he lead the team forwards. Red purred and Keith could feel it resonate in his mind. They broke the planet's atmosphere and flew full speed at the only Galra tower on the planet.

It was odd. From what Keith had read it seemed like towers would be unconventional on such a planet. Even now Keith was having to fight against the raging wind and low visibility of a heavy sandstorm. The tower would have no tactical advantage and was probably constantly at risk of toppling over. If this was such a low priority planet why waste resources on a tower in need of endless repairs and monitoring?

 _Maybe the conditions of the planet weren't always like this_. His voice of reason called out.

He gripped Red's controls tighter.

"Is anyone else getting a bad vibe?" Lance's voice filled his cockpit as his face appeared on the screen washed in blue light.

"Yeah, something doesn't feel right." Pidge's face showed up beside Lance's.

"I think there is more to this planet then we originally thought." Keith guided his lion around a particularly clouded spot as he voiced his thoughts.

"Hold steady." Shiro said, continuing forwards. They had almost reached the tower. When they were about 200 meters out Galra flyers began to flood out of one of the openings on the tower. "Evasive maneuvers, help each other take these guys down!" Shiro shouted, dropping black out of the lead to steer away some of the attention from the others.

It didn't take too long to get rid of most of them. There was one close call where Hunk almost creamed Lance in his hurry to get away from the eight flyers pursuing them, but Shiro intervened just in time.

Now they were watching as the three flyers turned tail and flew off towards the desert.

 _Something was definitely wrong._

"They're retreating?!" Pidge's shouted shrilly in disbelief and Keith couldn't help but to agree.

The Galra motto was 'victory or death' after all.

In an instant there was a flash of blue and Lance was in pursuit.

"Wait, Lance!" Shiro yelled.

"We can't let them get away, the only reason they would retreat is if they had something better to protect!" He yelled back. Keith was after him before he had even finished his sentence, ready to back him up. The others were much slower to start after them and none of them where as fast as the red lion.

Keith was by Lance's side before the others were even halfway there.

"Lance, Keith, we've lost visual!" Shiro shouted. His voice was worried and wavering, but that could have just been a side affect of how the communicators were subtly glitching. The sandstorm was getting more powerful and was hard to even see Lance, let alone the Galra flyers they had been pursuing.

"I can't see them anymore." Lance groaned. "Keith, we should pull back and wait for the others." Lance began to slow his lion down but Keith began to fly ahead.

"No, I think I see them! We're close!" Keith pushed on, though he really had no clue if he was seeing a faintly glowing Galra flyer or if his eyes were just playing tricks on him. He felt it though, they _had_ to be close. His stomach was churning and the feeling that something was entirely wrong had settled there. He wanted to find the root of the problem before it found them.

"Keith what are you doing, you can't see anything!" Lance pushed his lion back to full throttle to keep up with Keith, the blue being marred by the dark orange and black sand whipping through the air. "Keith, pull back!" Lance yelled at him, the irritation evident in his voice.

Keith battled away the voice of reason that was Lance and continued to search the sky for a hint of the Galra flyers.

"Guys- _skrrtch-_ back- _skrrrrrrtch"_ Pidge's voice cut out completely and the line to all paladins except Lance blinked red.

"There!" Keith shouted even though Lance would have been able to hear him at a normal volume. Close to the ground, entirely easy to miss, was a Galra flyer. He switched course and Lance followed close behind.

Landing was difficult with the powerful winds buffeting his lion, but it was even more challenging due to the fact that it was changing the sandy ground beneath him rapidly. This made it hard to gauge what was stable and what wasn't. Lance's cockpit appeared on Keith's screen, containing a very worried and disappointed Lance.

"Keith, it's not worth it anymore. Let's go."

"But it's right there!" Keith gestured to the flyer desperately. They were so close to getting answers, they couldn't leave _now_ when the only challenge ahead of them was landing their lions.

Keith touched down in the sand. Lance's frustrated scream rang out but he ignored it, focusing entirely on landing safely. It was rough but after a moment Red settled and Keith was finally close enough to get a clear look at the flyer.

Its wing was broken and sparking. The only reason that Keith had been able to see it in the first place was because of the bright light that flashed every few ticks.

The storm must have downed it, who knows what kind of debris winds like these could pick up and hurl around.

Lance touched down beside him, frowning angrily. "Really?" he muttered.

Keith sighed. Lance had been right. They should have turned around. There was no way they could catch up to or track down the last two flyers in this weather. And who knows what other Galra defenses the others could be fighting off back at that tower right now.

"Lance," Keith started. He wanted to apologize, sometimes he was too impulsive for his own good. But he never got to finish his sentence.

The ground beneath the lions and the flyer began to shake and rumble and before either of the paladins could think to launch back into the air they were sinking. In the time span of one tick the ground below them cracked open and swallowed them up before all of the surrounding sand sank back into the hole they created.

"Lance!" Keith yelled, pulling on his lion's controls trying to get out.

"I'm stuck!" Lance shouted back. All of the light from above was extinguished and they were truly buried alive.

Keith jerked on the controls some more but every time the blasters turned on he seemed to sink a little further. He slammed his fists down on the arms of his chair and grunted angrily.

"I'm stuck too."

"What the heck happened?!" Lance video feed showed him scanning over all of his lion's readouts.

"There must have been an earthquake, or too much weight focused on one spot." Keith tried to explain. Lance stopped looking at his readouts and huffed, glaring at Keith.

"I told you that we should pull back- that the others were waiting. But did you listen? No!"

"Lance I-"

"You can't do things on your own like that, we're a team."

"I know but-"

" _Gah!_ No one wants to listen to Lance! Lance is so stupid- pendejo!" Lance threw his hands up in the air before crossing them over his chest and slumping back in his chair.

Keith frowned, knowing that he was speaking Spanish but not knowing what the word meant. Lance had started teaching him some Spanish not too long ago, but he was still on simple things like learning the alphabet- and also learning to use letters instead of characters and symbols.

"You were right." Keith said loudly to be heard over Lance's muttering. Lance looked up at him, still obviously mad but no longer ranting. "I shouldn't have done that but complaining about it now isn't gonna get us out of this mess." As soon as the words left his mouth the ground beneath them shifted again.

"Ah, cheese."

The ground gave out beneath them and they were free falling.

Keith may have let out an unmanly scream, but it was nothing compared to Lance's girlish squeal. In the back of his mind Keith realized that they were falling through a large cavern, sand and rocks falling with them. There were also small orange glowing lights spread about the walls, turning into glowing lines due to the speed they were going. However, the only thought at the forefront of his mind was, "Holy srite I'm falling!"

 _SPLASH_

The impact knocked Keith out of his seat, causing him to bash his head against various parts of his cockpit. His vison went blurry and pain flooded his system and he wondered momentarily if the impact would have killed him if he hadn't been wearing his helmet.

His lion was sinking in clear dark water but stopped before the shoulders were submerged. He had reached the bottom of the little lake. Sand and dirt pattered down on his lion's face like rain on a tin roof but eventually ceased. When he looked up his vison swam, but he saw no light from above.

They wouldn't be getting out the way they came in.

"Ow…" Lance's whine came in as if from a far away place and suddenly Keith felt nauseous. "That wasn't fun."

"Now… now…" Keith tried to respond with the word 'nope' but he couldn't seem to get the word out the way he wanted. His vison began to go black-

…

When he came-to an angel was hauling him out of the jaws of a beast to the Above. Or more accurately, Lance was pulling him out of his lion by his arm pits to the shore of the lake. His brain was too addled with pain and confusion to really know the difference. He moaned as his head lolled to the side and sent the pain spinning around to his left ear.

"Dios!" Lance exclaimed, leaning down into Keith's face. Keith vaguely recalled Lance telling him once that word meant 'god.'

Whatever that was.

"Mm, hey." Keith blinked the blurriness away as best as he could as he looked into Lance's concerned blue eyes.

Lance frowned, narrowing his eyes at Keith before dropping him on the shore.

"Ouch!" Keith cradled his head in his arms as he looked at Lance in betrayal.

"That's what you get for not listening to me in the first place and then scaring the shit out of me with that little stunt you just pulled!"

"Stunt?" Keith was confused and his head was pounding. Lance's yelling wasn't helping.

Lance squawked at him. "Stunt he says!" He turned his back to Keith, taking a step away just to flip around again and point a finger in his direction. "You just stopped talking and disappeared from the camera! I had to haul my ass all the way into your lion just to see you passed out on the floor! I didn't know what happened, you looked like you were dead-" Lance choked on the last word, ceasing his rapid flow of words in exchange for an uneasy glance to the Blue lion, as if trying to find comfort.

Keith let go of his head and reached out to grab Lance's hand, dragging him to sit down beside him.

"I'm sorry." Lance muttered. "We've been out here for what seems like forever and it's like everything is weighing down on me at once." Lance pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin there, looking at the ground before him.

Keith didn't know if Lance was talking about being in this cavern or being in space, but he had a feeling it had more to do with the latter.

"It's okay- it happens." Keith mimicked Lance's body language, hoping that it might somehow release the pressure in his brain. "I bashed my head against a bunch of stuff on the way down… I think I have a concussion." Lance sent him a side glance before he sighed, readjusting his head so that he was looking directly at Keith.

The pain in his mind momentarily ebbed at the sight, replaced with a stolen breath at how adorable he looked. How his soft skin seemed to glow in the pale orange light. With his inhibitions momentarily offline due to the ache in his head he reached out and touched Lance's cheek gently. He was disappointed when he realized that he still had his glove armor on and was unable to actually feel his skin.

"Keith," Lance whispered. Keith snapped out of his thoughts and pulled his hand back.

"There was dirt." He lied and shoved his face between his knees to hide his eyes. The pain shifted to his temples and turned into a stabbing sensation.

"How hard did you hit your head?" Lance asked as a soft hand rested atop his head, behind his ears. It was only there for a moment when the pain ebbed, but Lance yanked his hand back as if he had been burned and the pain came flooding back. Keith returned his gaze to the young man beside him and saw him clutch his head for a moment.

They must have accidently connected. Lance was starting to do it more frequently- whether or not he knew what was happening Keith couldn't tell. But as of right now he was more concerned that Lance had momentarily shared his pain.

"What the hell was that?" He stared at Keith, waiting for an answer.

Keith shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with this planet," he lied. Lance frowned at him but said nothing more.

"What are we gonna do?" He asked, though Keith felt like the question wasn't really directed at him. They sat there in silence.

Keith tried to assess the situation. Both of their lions were submerged in the lake, Blue's jaw was just barely above the water but Red's shoulders were sticking out. The lions were accessible.

"Is blue still online?"

"Yeah, but it's not like we can just blast our way through the roof. The whole thing would just cave in."

Keith hummed in acknowledgement. Every problem couldn't be solved with giant robot lions after all. They would have to solve this on their own.

The communications with the others was down. Whether it be from the storm or some weird interference from the planet he didn't know. He did know that if comms were down it was likely that the others wouldn't be able to track them either. They probably wouldn't even guess that they sunk into the ground as there were likely no signs of it left.

Keith scanned over the rest of the cavern and saw the Galra flyer. It had missed the lake and was completely destroyed from the fall. The team wouldn't even have _that_ to mark the spot.

An extremely powerful wave of pain stopped his thoughts and he clutched at his skull. He was in too much pain to be thinking this hard. He just wanted to lay down for a little bit.

"I can't see hardly anything." Lance muttered to himself as he stood from Keith's side. Keith didn't watch him go. Moving his eyes made the pressure unbearable. Lance's steps rang out loudly and Keith folded his ears down to reduce the volume but it didn't help. An even louder crunching and shattering noise broke through his ear drums. He couldn't take it anymore. He changed to his human ears, grunting and clenching his teeth as he did so.

The sound was reduced.

"Okay then. That's… Better?" Lance's confused voice called Keith attention. Slowly Keith turned around and saw Lance holding out two large, orange glowing crystals that he had broken off of the cave wall. "They feel… warm." Lance shot him a questioning glance.

"Don't look at me. I don't know what those crazy crystals-" Keith cut himself off, vaguely recalling the information he had been reading on the planet. There was some crazy crystal that had healing properties, right? What were they called? Something with 'pole' in it.

It didn't matter what they were called. "Bring one of those here." Keith waved Lance over.

" _Please._ " Lance whinnied but Keith couldn't care less about niceties at the moment. Just making the pressure in his skull go away.

"Please," He appeased him. Lance brought the crystals over and handed the smaller one to Keith. The moment that Keith touched it to the bare skin of his face a gentle shock coursed through him and was quickly followed by a cooling sensation filling his skull.

Keith sighed and closed his eyes as he placed the crystal on the back of his neck, holding it there and relishing in the relief. The pain wasn't gone entirely, but it was enough for him to think without pain muddling his thoughts.

"Uh… Keith."

"Hm?" Keith's eyes cracked open and caught sight of Lance raising a thin eyebrow at him. He raked his eyes up and down Keith's body.

His full Galra body.

Keith never thought that he would be startled by his own body but here he was, throwing the crystal away and kicking up dirt and sand trying to get away from his own feet which were popping his boot armor out of place. It took him a moment before he was able to switch back to human and even then he couldn't force his left eye, both ears, and his teeth to go back.

"What the hell just happened? You're still purple and…" Lance stared at Keith's face. "Galra."

"I don't know. That crystal must have done something. It's supposed to have healing properties and I thought it could help my concussion-"

"How do you know-"

Keith cut him off. "I read the report Allura made."

"Okay… Did it help your head?" Keith nodded, noticing the pain seemed to be going away with every second. He cut his eyes to the crystal he had thrown and noticed that it had changed colors. It was a swirling purple and red. He crawled over and grabbed it, holding it up for Lance to see.

"Huh." Lance grabbed it, shrugging before handing it back. "Space is crazy." Was his only comment on it. He began to walk around the walls of the cave, running his hand along the rock as he went. Keith pocketed his palm-sized crystal and searched for his helmet. Lance's was by the shore, haphazardly thrown there. He scanned the cavern floor but saw nothing other than the occasional orange crystal.

Keith couldn't find it out here so it must still be in his lion. Maybe Lance took it off of him before he dragged him out.

He called Red down to him and climbed aboard when his massive jaw opened for him. He shuffled around the cockpit for a moment, putting some things that had fallen out of place back upright, before he found his helmet.

He knew that his helmet was red as blood, but now it was also filled with blood. The inside had a good amount of not-quite-dry blood on the right side. He lifted his hand and touched his head gently, pulling his glove away to see that- yes, he had been bleeding and yes, he was _still_ bleeding.

Keith looked around, finding some gauze in a first aid kit attached to the underside of his seat. He wrapped his wound as best as his wild hair would let him and used the excess to wipe out the inside of his helmet. Once clean (enough) he pulled it on.

"Hey Keith." Lance's voice came in through his helmet and he walked to the front of the cock pit to look down at him.

"Yeah?"

"I think I found a way out, so hurry up and get your ass down here." Lance waved his arm in a 'come on' motion as if he knew that Keith could see him. Keith just rolled his eyes- though one wouldn't be able to tell if they were only looking at his Galra eye- and made his way back to the ground.

Lance turned and lead the way towards the end of the cavern, revealing a slightly hidden pathway about 8 feet high that twisted immediately to the left.

"Any clue how far it goes?"

"I followed it a little bit of the way and it didn't seem to be ending anytime soon so I came back to get you."

Keith glanced back at their lions and watched as either of their particle barriers rose up around them, displacing the lake water. There was nothing they could do about them. For now, they would have to go on their own.

"After you." Keith gestured to the tunnel and then they were on their way.

The tunnel wound on and on. Occasionally they would come across caverns similar to their own with small ponds or lakes.

To prevent getting lost or being unable to find their way back to their lions they would break off some crystals from the walls every so often and form an 'x' with them. Now, their plan wasn't infallible. If an earthquake hit it could jostle the crystals out of place and make their lives even more difficult than they already were but they couldn't spend a lot of time agonizing over it.

As they advanced through the dim tunnels they noticed a sound they hadn't heard previously. It was a soft clicking noise that was getting progressively louder the further they went. The crystals were also getting brighter, making it much easier for Lance to see and much more painful to Keith's left eye.

 _Change, change, change!_

Keith tried once again to switch back to his human features but only managed to shove his teeth back up until they were shorter and dulled over.

 _Fine._

He followed Lance's lead, sticking to the left wall as the tunnel took a left turn, light leaking in from further ahead. Slowly they edged around the turn until they could see what lied ahead.

It looked like a whole new world.

Before them a cavern stood, hundreds of feet tall and hundreds of feet wide. Along the edges of the cavern were what appeared to be homes. Holes in the walls that were shaped like doorways along with smaller holes beside them- windows. The middle of the cavern dipped, holding mines that seemed to sink down into the ground endlessly. Large orange crystals were imbedded in and on the tops of tall columns, creating a bright atmosphere.

But even with the warm, almost homely environment, Keith could only feel uneasiness. The evidence showed that many people lived here.

But there wasn't a soul in sight.

Lance gave Keith a confused look to show that he was just as unnerved by this as he was. Keith nodded and pointed down towards the mines where the sound was coming from. If he hadn't been wearing his helmet his ears would have swiveled towards it. With a nod the two of them began to descend into the mines, hugging the shadows and staying as quiet as they could.

It took them around 20 dobashes of walking before they saw the first sign of life in the form of a Galra sentry. Keith took it out with a swift blade strike before it could even shoot at them.

"I guess the Galra have already made themselves at home." Lance mused.

"Yeah. We should be careful. I'm sure there will be more."

With that they dragged the body of the sentry to an out of the way tunnel to avoid detection. As they progressed they ran into more and more sentries, taking them out as they went. Finally, they came across the origin of the clicking sound which was now at a deafening level. Thousands of reptilian workers were mining away at a plethora of the orange crystals around them. Each of them had two arms and four legs and were wearing Galra prison garb bar one exception. All of them were wearing shoes and gloves as they mined away, depositing their wagon-loads of crystals into chutes that lead somewhere that neither of them could see.

The Genopians were fully enslaved and Keith and Lance were lionless, teamless, and stuck right in the middle of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lance**

"Any ideas?" Lance asked Keith as they sat in cover. Keith summoned his bayard and raised an eyebrow. Lance narrowed his eyes. "We can't just run in there and kill all of the sentries without: A. getting murdered or B. getting one of _them_ murdered." Lance gestured behind them to the Genopians who were mining away, none the wiser to the two of them.

"You have a better plan?" Keith asked snippily. Lance felt a growl in the back of his throat as his frustration rose.

Keith always did this to him. He just charged in without thinking and got them both into trouble and then he would turn around and do it again. i.e. today chasing after those flyers; though Lance had been the one who had gone after them first. But that wasn't the point, because when Lance saw that it wasn't worth it to chase them anymore Keith _kept going_.

Arg!

Lance really did think that Keith was an amazing fighter and an incredible friend but he was about to explode. It was like he never learned from his mistakes and had it stuck in his head how things needed to go.

He missed earth. He missed his family. He missed having conversations with them in Spanish and even though Keith was putting forth effort and starting to learn his language, Lance really hadn't gotten far with him. Keith didn't even know what an alphabet was because the Galra used characters like the Chinese and Japanese and a whole slew of other earth languages. Keith knew a few words but not enough to form a sentence and it would be a while before he could.

Lance was really just so homesick that every little thing felt like it was the end of the world.

"Fine. You wanna do it your way then we will. You go out there and swing your little sword around and I'll cover you from back here but once we get caught or killed there will be no one to blame but you." Lance knew he was being harsh. In the back of his mind he could almost feel Keith's own frustration and even a little bit of hurt, but he couldn't stop.

"Lance, I don't think there is anything else we _can_ do. I don't see any towers or anything around here other than mines and slaves." Lance sighed. They were in a pinch.

He let himself lay back against the cave wall and breathe.

"We can't do it your way Keith. It won't work." Keith frowned, taking a second before he nodded and slouched against the wall beside Lance.

"I know."

Lance stopped slouching and gave him a hard look. "If you know then why do you _keep doing it_?!"

Keith spun his blade around in his hand. "I don't know. I just... I just don't really know any other way. Sneak in, steal something, get out. There were never any crazy huge unplanned missions when I was in the blade and now we don't have any clue where we are or how things work and I'm…" He trailed off. Lance waited for him to continue but he didn't.

"You're what? Stupid?" Lance baited him.

"I'm not stupid!" _Hook_. "I just get…" _Line._ "Impatient." _Sinker._

"Impatient?" Lance raised an eyebrow. Keith looked away.

"Look, it doesn't matter. Let's just figure something out." He didn't elaborate.

"No, no. If you keep on diving into dangerous things head first because you don't want to stop and think for _ten seconds_ it does matter." Lance pushed himself off the wall to stand in front of Keith.

"Fine." Keith said but then shut his mouth. Lance rolled his eyes.

" _Fine_. Don't tell me. But please think a little bit harder next time. At this point it isn't just you that you're looking out for. What you do is going to affect everyone in this room, cave, whatever it is- got it?" Keith bit the inside of his cheek and frowned, looking away stubbornly.

Lance gave up. He left Keith standing there by himself so that he could scout the area. He peeked his head around the corner and took note of what was before him. There were still hundreds of Genopians mining away at those strange crystals. Sentries watched over them, stationed about every 30 feet up on slightly higher platforms. The platforms had space under them that could probably hide either Lance or Keith, but not both. There was no way to get to them without crossing open ground though.

He scanned further, looking up the walls. They were deep in the cavern, the glow from the city above was faint and hard to make out. Some of the walls had deep crevices in them that could become make-shift handholds, but there was still the issue of being seen.

They really were stuck. They needed the rest of the team.

 _But they aren't here so suck it up._ His inner voice shouted at him.

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to deny that he jumped but... Well he jumped.

"Hey. Sorry." Keith said softly. Whether he was apologizing for scaring him or fighting with him Lance couldn't tell.

"What is it?" He tried to keep his voice level but he was having trouble. This whole situation was stressful.

"I think I have an idea." He pointed towards one side of the cave where there were about twenty workers mining away at a large vein of crystal that trailed up into the cavern wall. Lance looked at them, trying to figure out what Keith was talking about. He squinted after a moment and then shook his head, not understanding.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked.

Keith didn't answer in words, instead he pointed up higher and Lance followed the direction of his finger. It lead his gaze to an overhang where big, bright orange crystals drooped down. Stalactites. Or was it a Stalagmite? Lance didn't know and he didn't care. There were large crystals hanging from the ceiling just asking to crash to the floor. It was perfect.

Almost.

"What about the workers underneath?" Lance pointed their way.

Keith shrugged. "I don't know." He glanced at the sentries standing watch. His gaze slowly making its way back to the Genopians. "If you shoot a warning shot it might get them out of the way."

"If I shoot more than once they might recognize the sound as gunfire instead of breaking rock."

They had been so close to finding a way out of this.

"Damn it." Keith huffed, he tapped his fingers against the side of the armor where his crystal was, making a quiet, persistent, annoying sound.

Lance was about to tell him to stop when he caught sight of one of the closest Genopians looking around curiously. He stopped working and did a full 360 degree turn, hands hovering over the chute that other Genopians were putting crystals in.

"Keith." Lance pinned his hand against his armor to prevent the sound from continuing and watched for the Genopian's reaction.

He looked a bit harder before seeming to give up and go back to work, dumping his crystals in the chute.

"What are you doing Lance?" Keith pushed Lance's hand away from his thigh and stepped back slightly.

"I think they can hear you tapping the crystal."

"What?"

"Watch! Do it again." Lance pulled his hand back and waited. Keith narrowed his eyes but listened and began to tap the crystal again, louder this time.

Now three Genopians were looking around and the first one was even more anxious in his search, going as far as to look under the chute.

"They can." Keith muttered under his breath. Lance pursed his lips as he thought. They had a way to warn them now. Lance stepped out of the cover as far as he dared and tried to get their attention. One of them caught sight of him and it's two narrow eyes went wide, turning to the others to make sure they were seeing him too.

Lance pointed towards the large overhang and made eye contact with the others to make sure that they were watching. When he knew they were he pointed at the overhang again and then made an explosion movement with his hands. They looked at each other and then back at him, nodding in understanding.

They dispersed, one of them going towards the crew under the overhang and spreading the word while the others did the same in other areas of the mine. Soon the air was tense and the sentries were getting antsy, sensing something was wrong as they watched the Genopians go about their business.

After about a minute the group of Genopians working under the over hang began to edge away slowly so as not to raise suspicion.

When they reached a safe distance Lance summoned his bayard and took aim, firing off one quick shot at a weak point in the crystal. The instantaneous _crack_ of the crystal disguised the sound of Lance's shot and sent the giant orange rock crashing to the ground.

Sentries began flooding towards the downed crystal, shouting at each other about staying alert and pushing the workers back. The ones stationed further away stood guard, raising their weapons as they scanned around. Once about seven of them had gathered around the fallen rock, Lance crouched and took aim from his cover.

Keith had crept up behind the group, using their guard stands as cover and once he was close enough he began his attack. He slashed his blade through two sentries, Lance giving him cover fire for the sentries that raised their blasters on him. He was wild and Lance watched, mesmerized, at the way he fought. It was almost feral and honestly... Insanely attractive. The way his muscles worked and the fact that he was doing this to protect these people… Yeah, it made Lance's heart pound.

The sentries in the immediate vicinity had been taken down. When the two paladins turned to see what the distant sentries were doing they were pleasantly surprised to find them overcome by the Genopian miners.

The Genopians let out a happy cry and two of the closest aliens approached the paladins. One of them might have been the first Genopian to see them, but Lance couldn't really tell. They all looked pretty similar after all.

"Thank you. We've been waiting to the chance to fight back." His voice was deep and rough as he bowed his head.

Lance smiled. "It was nothing. We came here to free you from Galra control. We're with Voltron." The Genopian's head snapped up and he smiled almost freightingly with razor sharp yellow teeth.

"Voltron you say? Where are the rest of you?" He looked around, head snapping from side to side in a way that the human neck couldn't handle.

"We were separated from the group." Keith spoke up. "We were hoping you would be able to help us actually. Our lions are stuck- we were pulled in through the sand and can't get back out." The alien narrowed his eyes at Keith, scanning his face and looking especially hard at Keith's Galra eye, though it was obscured by his paladin helmet.

The other Genopian shook his (her?) head and gestured to a few others of their race. "Did you mark the way to your lions?" It was definitely a girl. Her sharp hissing voice confirmed that.

"Yes, we made an 'x' with some of the crystals along the way." Keith made an x with his fingers and as Lance watched him he noticed movement in a tunnel out of the corner of his eye. It looked like a retreating sentry.

"We'll be right back." Lance grabbed Keith's arm and pulled him after him for a few steps before summoning his bayard and marching towards the tunnel.

"What are you doing Lance? Where are we going?" Keith whispered, pulling his own bayard out.

"I think one of them got away." Keith didn't say anything after that, following along behind him silently.

A few twists and turns later they found themselves in some sort of control room with other passages leading off of it. The sentry that Lance had seen earlier was at the control panel and before Lance could shoot it set off a blaring alarm.

"Dammit." Lance shot the sentry and raced towards the control panel with Keith by his side. "How do we turn it off?" Lance shouted over the noise. Keith just started smashing buttons and Lance followed his lead. After a moment Keith slammed his hand down on a scanner that flashed for a moment before the alarm cut out.

"Well that was lou-" Keith was cut off when a laser hit the back of his helmet, sending him crashing into the control panel unconscious. Lance whipped around with his bayard raised but only managed to take out two sentries before the rest overwhelmed him.

"Let me go! Keith!" He shouted but one of the sentries had both of his arms pinned behind his back and was pushing his hands up towards the top of his spine at a painful angle.

"Take the two of them to a holding cell. I will be there in a dobash." An obviously irritated Galra voice said.

 _No. No, not again. They can't be caught by the Galra again._

Lance could feel himself panicking. He tried to keep a cool composure. This was no time to get worked up but every time he took a breath and attempted to focus on the situation and think of a way out his mind went elsewhere.

 _The beatings._

 _The starving._

 _The carvings._

 _The attempted rape._

He still had nightmares about his time under Galra imprisonment and sometimes he wanted to give up being a defender of the universe altogether when the crippling fear took over. He had been getting better.

And now he was right back in the arms of his fears.

His breathing was erratic and he struggled against the sentry's hold, shouting for help. The sentry yanked his arms up further and he felt his right shoulder pop out of place. He screamed in pain and the sentry shoved him forwards into a room with no windows and a door that locked. Keith's limp body was thrown in behind him and the door was clicked into place.

Whimpering, Lance crawled over towards Keith in the midst of a panic attack. He pulled Keith closer with his left arm but his right arm hung limply. It was dislocated and Lance didn't even want to think about the pain that popping it back into place would cause.

Once he was resting Keith's head in his lap he pulled off Keith's helmet as carefully as he could with one hand. There was a hole in the back that had almost burned all the way through the Altean armor. The helmet had saved his life, but the impact of the shot had knocked him out and it probably didn't help that he had been concussed earlier.

"Keith?" Lance hated how shaky his voice was. The panic attack wouldn't hold off much longer and he needed to be alert when that Galra soldier came back to 'handle' them. His bayard was still in the control room but once Keith woke up they could use his. See, they had a plan, he could calm down they would get out of this just fine.

Keith just had to wake up.

"Come on Keith, please." Lance lightly shook his shoulder but tried not to jostle his head too much. Flash backs to the crash not two hours ago plagued his mind.

Breaking into the red lion and finding Keith lifeless on the floor. Feeling the warm blood from his head wound seeping out of his helmet. Pulling his helmet off before carrying him out of Red as best as he could.

 _Wait._

The crystal. It healed him earlier, so where did Keith put it? He poked around in Keith's belt pockets until he found the crystal in the left side pocket. It was still slightly purple and glowed softly in Lance's gloved hand.

He placed it gently on Keith's cheek, which brightened his skin. Slowly Keith's eyes fluttered open and Lance felt his stomach flip just a bit when he met the bright yellow eyes. Keith's dark yellow irises moved slowly across Lance's face.

"What's… Happening?" He asked, his voice groggy. Lance smiled and tried to calm his breathing as the panic attack began to take hold.

"We got captured and we're stuck in a cell." Lance tried to laugh but the tears running down his face and the painful pounding of his heart wouldn't let him. Instead he let out a sob while wearing a watered-down smile.

Keith sat up immediately and looked around the cell for a moment before focusing his attention back on Lance. His skin had turned purple again and Lance would bet that he didn't notice.

"Lance. What's happening to you?" Keith put his hand on Lance's dislocated shoulder and Lance cried out, jerking away in pain. Keith's eyes went wide and his ears snapped forwards. He leaned in closer to Lance but didn't touch him this time.

"One of the sentries dislocated my shoulder." He said through panting uneven breathes as he sobbed uncontrollably. _Fucking panic attack._

Keith stared hard at Lance's shoulder for a moment. "I have to put it back." Lance sobbed harder.

"No…" his breathing was uneven and he was taking gasping breaths. "Please- I can't." He spoke quickly and begged Keith. Keith paid no mind to him and grabbed the muscular junction of shoulder and neck and then Lance's arm. Lance didn't move, knowing it would hurt worse if he tried to get away.

"On three," Keith said. Once Lance nodded his head Keith took a breath and shoved his shoulder back into place without ceremony.

Lance screamed.

"What the hell happened to one, two, and three?" He cried out. Keith said nothing. Lance pushed himself away from the Red paladin. He knew that Keith was only doing what had to be done but in his panicked mind all he could think when he saw him was 'betrayal.'

"Lance you need to calm down."

Lance was beginning to feel nauseous and he knew that if he didn't chill out soon he would be losing his lunch.

"Breathe with me. Come on follow me, you can do it." Keith kept his distance as he coached him. "You don't have to say anything just focus here." He pointed to his armor-clad chest. It rose and fell with his exaggerated breaths. It was mesmerizing and soon Lance found himself matching him. He focused on the feeling the breathing brought him and in the back of his mind he felt a calming presence. He didn't look Keith in the face the whole time, just watched his chest rise and fall until he wasn't crying anymore and his mind wasn't clouded.

"Lance?" Keith said softly, testing the waters. Lance swallowed.

"Sorry. I don't know if you've ever had a panic attack but…" Lance didn't feel like finishing the sentence so he trailed off. Keith nodded and inched closer. When Lance didn't flinch away he sat by Lance's side.

"Does your shoulder hurt?" Keith asked. Lance snorted as he lazily let his head roll to the side to meet Keith's yellow gaze.

"What do you think?" Lance asked sassily. In all honesty it didn't hurt as bad as it had before but there was still a bone deep ache throbbing away within him.

"Here." Keith held out his crystal to Lance.

He didn't want it. When Lance pushed the crystal away Keith gave him a puzzled look. "It's still purple and it made you turn Galra."

As soon as Lance said it Keith set down the crystal and opened his mouth, feeling his fangs with his fingers and tongue before looking down at his body, which was stretching and straining in his armor.

"Oh." Lance rolled his eyes and pulled his helmet off with his good arm, letting it fall to the ground gracelessly.

"You have your bayard, we can use that when they come back." Lance stated matter-of-factly as he stared at the wall in front of him.

There was some quiet shuffling and then Keith was standing before the door summoning his bayard. Lance watched curiously.

Keith raised his blade over his head and Lance thought that he was going to start wailing it against the door, but he paused, turning back to Lance.

"I think that I could cut it open. Are you with me?"

 _Was this his way of running an idea by Lance?_

Well, progress was progress. Even if it was slow and vague.

"Yeah, let me get over there first." Lance pushed himself up and pulled his injured arm in close once he was standing. Keith gave him a nod and brought his blade down about where the locking mechanism would be.

It dented the metal, which was definitely more than Lance thought would happen. After a few more focused blows and some clumsy prying the door opened.

The air inside and outside of the cell was the exact same, but Lance decided that the air outside was definitely sweeter. Something about freedom he guessed.

Keith gave him a quick glance and started to run in the direction they came from. However, he had no clue where he was going. He was knocked out on his way here. There was no way he would be able to get them back to the freed Genopians.

Lance caught up to him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back. He pointed to himself and then in front of them.

 _"I'll lead the way."_

Keith frowned but nodded. They pushed forewords and soon came across a horde of sentries. They froze in place and held their breath, moving back slowly but it was too late. They had been spotted. Fire came at them in heavy waves and they were forced to retreat from the twenty or so sentries in pursuit.

As they sprinted back through the tunnels the way they had come they passed by the cell they had been in. A quick glimpse in showed Lance that the galra soldier had come by while they were gone and he was scooping something up from the floor. He turned it over in his hand but Lance had passed by before he could figure out what it was.

They got maybe three steps before Keith froze in place.

Lance skidded to a stop and yelled at him.

"What are you doing Keith!" He screamed. Keith didn't move, he was looking at Lance but he wasn't really seeing him. The sentries had stopped firing and stood before the door to the cell. The galra soldier who had been inside sauntered out with a sickening smirk on his face. In his hand he held Keith's crystal like a trophy, brandishing it clearly in Lance's view. Keith must have left it in the cell.

"Paladins. Or rather paladin. The other one isn't really here right now." Lance sneered at him.

"What did you do to him?!"

"You obviously didn't come to this planet very informed. Do you even know what this is?" He waved the crystal back and forth.

Lance grit his teeth but said nothing. He took a step closer to Keith, who was still motionless.

"Ah-ah-ah." The sentries pulled their laser rifles to attention. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Lance stopped moving.

"Sentries, stand down. Go and quell that little rebellion that the Genopians think they can get away with." He dismissed the sentries, leaving Lance even more confused and on edge than before.

"You may have noticed," he started as the sentry's footfalls faded away into the distance. "That the Genopians never touched these crystals with their bare skin while mining."

Lance had seen the gloves. So, what?

"These crystals are special. They have healing properties and bind themselves to an owner-"

Great. This dude was about to ramble on about some evil plan or another and expect Lance to listen. Well he had another thing coming.

Lance lunged over towards Keith and pulled him off to a nearby passage out of sight. He didn't know what was wrong with him but he would be crazy to leave him vulnerable like that.

Once Keith was in the hallway he collapsed, eyes still staring blankly forwards. Lance waved his hand in front of his face but got no reaction.

"Keith come on." He whispered.

"You're not going to be able to speak to him. He can't hear you." The galra walked calmly around the corner.

Lance yanked Keith's bayard from his tense hold and pointed it at the galra who continued approaching.

"You fix him right now!" Lance yelled, standing in front of Keith protectively. The galra laughed. Laughed! Lance stood steady but his emotions were wavering.

What was going on?

"Now why would I do that?" The galra smiled and Lance wanted to retch. "I think I'll just..." The galra raised Keith's crystal and Lance noticed that he wasn't wearing any gloves. He was touching it with his bare skin... Or... scales? It didn't matter, he was touching it without a layer of protection. He brought a claw up and scraped it down the side of the purple rock.

Keith let out a guttural scream and curled in on himself.

"Stop! What are you doing!" Lance's head snapped between the two of them rapidly, not knowing who to focus on.

"I'm showing you what these crystals are capable of." He stopped cutting into the crystal and Keith was reduced to a ball of pained gasps.

Lance didn't know what to do. He didn't... What should he do!?

He took an aggressive step towards the galra who simply scraped his claw down the crystal again until he stopped.

"This isn't even the best part." The galra stated sadistically. He pulled the crystal into his palm and folded his fingers over it until it was completely covered. After a moment Lance heard movement behind him. He turned just in time to see Keith running at him with a speed he had never before seen.

Before he knew it, Keith had tackled him to the ground and was growling down at him menacingly, siting on his stomach so he couldn't get up.

When Lance squirmed, trying to get out of his hold, Keith grabbed his arms and pinned them above his head. His injured shoulder snapped again and Lance screamed. Keith stared down at him with pupil-less yellow eyes that had never scared him more than in this moment.

This wasn't his Keith.

"You see. The crystals bind to a person like a mate is bound to a Kalan." He took a step closer, obviously feeling in control of the situation. "You look pretty dense so I'll explain."

Lance could feel an angry embarrassed flush on his cheeks at those words. Keith was staring down at him in his full galra form and Lance realized that he had never actually seen him like this other than a handful of times.

He was… he was scared of this Keith.

"When I hold this crystal, I can tell the bonded to do something and they will do it. No ifs ands or buts. It's amazing really. And just like a Kalan I don't even have to speak out loud. I just think something and then It's happening. Perfect for uncooperative races." From the corner of his eye Lance sees the galra toss the crystal into the air and catch it with a smile on his face.

"Keith," He called Keith's name but he showed no signs of understanding him.

"I told you he can't hear you. Anyways. I'm getting bored so I think I'll move this along." He gripped the crystal in his hand again and Keith was still. After a moment the Red Paladin moved but it was stutter-y and lacked smoothness.

"Come on now," The galra squeezed his fist tighter until his knuckles were turning a lighter color.

Keith released his hold on Lance's hands and one of them found its way to his neck, the other braced against the floor by his shoulder. At first there was no pressure, just the warmth of his hand. Then it moved off of his neck completely and Keith's face sank down into the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

There was a warm sensation on his neck as Keith licked and mouthed at the fabric there. Then there was a harder feeling as teeth ran over the same spot. They never sank in but Lance could feel them grazing against him.

"Keith," Lance was close to tears. He didn't know what was going on. He thought he was about to die but then Keith started doing these… almost sexual things to him. Keith pushed his teeth down a bit harder against his suit's fabric and Lance couldn't tell if he whimpered or moaned at the feeling. "Keith! This isn't you…" He whispered. Distantly he could hear the galra cursing.

Slowly Lance pulled his left arm down from where Keith had pinned it and tried to push Keith off of him gently. The resulting growl made his blood chill as Keith tensed and slowly pulled himself out of Lance's shoulder and into his view.

He looked furious. But he also looked hurt, like someone had just delivered the worst news he had ever heard and he wasn't taking it well. In the blink of an eye Keith's hand was back on Lance's throat while his other trailed down his body and pinned his hips down.

"Finally," the galra muttered. So, it wasn't him who was making Keith do these strange things. He obviously just wanted Lance dead.

Keith's hand began to tighten around his throat and Lance tried to wrap his hand around his wrist to pull him off but his fingers didn't even fit all the way around. Keith was so much bigger as a galra and he was definitely stronger this way too.

He tried to speak but all that came out was a gurgling mess as his air way was completely closed off. He slapped at Keith's arm uselessly until the edges of his vison were blurring and he felt drool running out of his mouth and down his chin.

He stared into Keith's eyes, pleading with him. He tried to tell him to let him go. To show him how scared he was. How badly Keith frightened him. He pushed with every ounce of energy he had left until suddenly the hand was no longer blocking his air way and he was hacking and heaving. Trying to get air into his quivering lungs as quickly as he could while simultaneously coughing up those lungs. Keith's weight disappeared and he rolled over onto his side in a weak attempt to take it more air.

"What are you doing! Kill him! You had it, just a few seconds longer and he would be dead!" The galra was shouting angrily. Lance forced himself to stand, grabbing Keith's discarded bayard on the way up. "Oh no you don't." Keith's pained screams returned to Lance's ears as the galra dragged his claws down the crystal even harder than the first time.

 _Sorry Keith. Tough it out a little longer._

Lance charged the galra, swinging Keith's sword with a ferociousness that he hadn't been expecting. The galra brought his own blade up just in time to block Lance's attack, but he dropped Keith's crystal on the ground in the process. At least his screams had stopped.

Lance pushed down against the galra's blade before deflecting it to the right. His initial attack had been strong but that was mostly because he had charged and used the momentum to his advantage, but now he was in trouble. He was fighting with his weak arm and he couldn't hold his other arm out for balance or defense. In hind sight, this wasn't a very good plan, but he couldn't back down now.

"You piece of- oof!" the galra only got out a few words before he was suddenly gone. No longer standing before him.

Lance gaped down at the ground where Keith had tackled the man but that was all he did. He wasn't punching him or attacking him any further. He was just sitting on top of the man blankly.

The man had grabbed his crystal from the ground.

Lance wasn't thinking when he swung Keith's sword around a few times to gain momentum before slamming it down on the galra's outstretched arm. The sword didn't slice all the way through, it got stuck in the galra's hard bone, but it did sever multiple tendons that controlled his fingers. His hand fell open like his mouth as he screamed in agony.

Lance snatched the crystal from him and tried not to think about what he had just done. He refused to remember the feeling of the sword sinking through the flesh before coming to a stop with a _clack._ He refused to let himself remember the sight of the meat and tendons and blood.

Dios there was so much blood.

He held the crystal and willed Keith to snap out of it. It didn't work at first and then Lance remembered that he needed to touch it to bare skin. He placed it on his cheek and tried to wake him up again. The feeling of the action was familiar, like he had done it once in a dream.

Keith was standing and pushing himself away from the screaming man within seconds and Lance pushed his bayard back into Keith's arms before pulling him away.

They needed to get out of there.

The moment Lance turned the corner he collided with something.

A yellow something.

"Lance, Keith!" Hunk shouted pushing himself off of the wall he had been shoved into.

"Hunk." Lance refused to cry. But he did allow himself to hug the big man. Hunk carefully pried Lance off of him. Very aware that they were in a dangerous battle and didn't have a lot of time for emotional reunions. The screaming in the background didn't help.

"What's happening over there?" Hunk asked Lance as he pointed back the way they had come from. Lance shook his head and refused to answer. He pointed to the way back to the main cavern.

"Is everyone else back there?" He asked. Hunk nodded.

"Where are your helmets?" He pointed to his own helmet.

"I'll get them. Tell the others that we'll meet them in the main mine." Lance pulled Keith along with him as soon as he finished speaking. He was very ready to get the hell out of Dodge.

He made his way back to the nearby cell and quickly scooped up both of their helmets. He put his own on before he threw Keith's to him. When he heard Keith's helmet hit the floor he turned to him. Keith bent down to grab it slowly but he seemed more like a zombie than a person when he did it.

 _Fucking crystal._

It's not like Lance was a crystal expert. Keith knew more than him and he didn't even have a clue about the mind control thing. It looked like he was still following the crystal's orders. Apparently, 'snap out of it' wasn't specific enough.

What if nothing _was_? Would Lance have to control him forever.

Eat Keith.

Sleep Keith.

Go use the bathroom Keith.

 _Don't hurt me Keith._

Lance shuttered as he stared into Keith's pupil-less eyes.

He wished they had never came to this planet in the first place.

Lance pulled the crystal from his pocket. He had a hunch. He closed the distance between the two of them before Keith could put his helmet on and smacked the crystal onto Keith's face. He held it there and willed it to work.

Miraculously, it did. Keith's eyes blinked a few times and then the yellow faded away for white and his purple gray eyes were back. He even shrunk down to normal galra Keith size as his ears swiveled back and forth.

"Keith." He called his name and Keith's full attention was directed at him. He was back. Lance embraced him quickly in a spur of the moment decision, their armor clanking together loudly and pinching uncomfortably in jointed areas, but he didn't care. It wasn't a wonderful hug by any means, it was one handed and Keith's arms had found themselves dangerously close to his aching shoulder as he returned the hug, but it made Lance feel a little better. Like it made Keith a little safer. But nothing could last forever.

"Lance, are you okay-"

"Let's go." Lance said as he let him go and turned on his heel to lead the way out.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I pulled this big ole chapter out of thin air and I have no idea how I did it. It might have had something to do with the support that this story has been getting, those comments really make my day :)**

 **luv ya 3**


	4. Chapter 4

When they reached the control room Lance found his bayard lying among a multitude of shattered sentry bodies. He scooped it up and the two of them charged into the main mining area.

Keith wavered as they reached the open space. His head felt heavy and his thoughts were sluggish, as if they had to wade through honey to reach the next section of his mind. Lance charged on, intent on reaching their small group of friends in the middle of the cavern surrounded by Genopians.

When he squinted his eyes, Keith noticed that Shiro was actually the only one there.

He jogged for a few steps to catch up to Lance again and push through the aliens. They reached Shiro and the taller man immediately lost some tension in his shoulders. An easy smile came onto his face before his strong features were replaced with a frown.

"Where have you guys been?" The lecture began. His eyes darted between Lance and Keith for an explanation.

Keith thought about it for a minute but it seemed like whenever he tried to figure out what he had been doing 5 dobashes ago his mind tried to shut down. Keith shrugged when Shiro's eyes landed on him. Lance spoke up, sounding almost panicked.

"We'll tell you when we get back on the castle of lions. What's happening right now?" Lance shifted his bayard gun in his good arm, antsy.

"Alright. I expect the whole story though. Pidge is going to shut down this station while hunk is clearing out the left over galra. I was explaining what we were doing to the Genopians." As soon as Shiro finished the Keith noticed a loud noise erupting tunnel they came from before it was abruptly cut off. Pidge's doing, he would guess. A moment later Hunk emerged from the same tunnel.

"I guess we're finished then," Lance mused.

A hand settled onto Keith's shoulder and he turned to meet the four eyes of the Genopian who was trying to get his attention.

"The lions have been resurfaced and the sandstorm is clear. We can lead you out."

Keith nodded his head and turned back to Shiro. "We're going to go get our lions. We'll meet you at the Castle." Shiro gave them a nod and returned to his conversation with the aliens.

Keith didn't need to call for Lance, he was already walking by his side as he returned his bayard to his suit and cradled his arm to his chest gently.

They followed the Genopian through winding tunnels and caverns that they had no way of returning through. Without the escort they would never have been able to find their way around.

Eventually they began to walk at an upwards angle and dobashes later they were opening a rocky hatch to the dessert outside. The sky had settled into a blue-green color and the orange sand was no longer whipping through the air.

Their lions were sitting not too far off. How the Genopians got them out of the cavern, Keith had no idea. But he wasn't going to argue about it. Keith started toward his lion but Lance stopped him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

"Give me your crystal." He said with unusual urgency. Keith furrowed his brows but pulled it out of his pocket.

Before he handed it over he held it close to himself, feeling an odd attachment to it.

"Excuse me," Lance called the Genopian who had lead them out. She came closer to them. "Is there any way to un-connect a crystal and a person?" His voice was calm but Keith didn't miss the underlying desperation.

The Genopian's eyes widened and she reached out for Keith's crystal with her still gloved hand. Keith pulled it away from her before she could grab it. She didn't seem surprised.

"A dangerous thing you have done red one," She said. Keith didn't understand. Wasn't it a good thing? It healed him, right? It may have turned him galra but it saved his butt over and over again. Even in that cell.

Wait. Didn't he leave the crystal in the cell?

"There is a way but it is long and tedious. Has anyone else used this crystal?" Instead of asking Keith she asked Lance, which he found odd. Shouldn't she ask the owner of the crystal? Wouldn't Keith know better than anyone?

Lance nodded his head, his eyes going dark. Keith noticed a dark spot above his under suit on his neck.

When had he gotten that?

 _Focus. That's not the question you should be asking._

When had someone else used his crystal?

"When?" He asked Lance. Lance barely spared him a glance before speaking to the alien.

"Can you do it?" He asked.

 _He ignored me?!_

"Lance." He turned Lance towards him by the shoulder. He wasn't expecting the severe flinch and how he squeezed his eyes shut when he did it. "When did someone use my crystal." He spoke much softer now.

Lance wouldn't meet his eyes. "After the cell," were the only words he spoke.

That didn't make sense. After the cell they went straight back into the main mine. Keith racked his brain.

Didn't they escape the cell though? But he remembers putting his helmet on in the cell…

What was going on?

"I can disconnect it. It will take some time though."

"Could we just leave it with you?" Lance asked. She said yes.

Lance held out his hand for the crystal but Keith didn't give it to him. He cocked his head to the side. "Keith?"

"Why do we have to disconnect it?"

"It's dangerous."

"It has healing properties."

"Among other alien things that don't bode well for you." Lance narrowed his eyes at him.

"Like _what_?"

Lance snapped his mouth shut, his jaw tensing. His hand reached up and touched his neck.

"The blue one is right. Even _we_ try not to connect with the crystals. When you create a connection by touch others can corrupt the connection."

Keith didn't understand. "Lance?" Lance snapped his eyes to Keith, his hand dropping.

"Give her the crystal. Please." Lance voice was steady and Keith could feel him pushing a feeling of distress.

He gave in. There was a twisting in his stomach as he let the crystal go.

"It should be cleansed in a quintant or two." She said, bowing her head to Keith. "You will know the exact moment when." And with that she left.

"Let's get back to the castle." Lance began walking away.

"Lance. Please tell me what happened. I feel like…" Keith trailed off as Lance stopped moving. "Like I'm missing something important. Like its right there in my mind but I can't grasp it." Keith was frustrated. He was confused and his head felt foggy and he didn't know if he wanted to sit in quiet contemplation or blow up and start pulling his hair out.

"The crystal has mind control properties. The galra soldier found it and used it against us. I don't think you can remember anything while you were being controlled." Lance frowned.

"What did he make me do?" Keith was beginning to worry. He just wanted to understand what happened.

"He hurt the crystal and it hurt you." Lance stared at his feet. "Then he told you to kill me." Lance turned and began walking, Keith stayed close, waiting for the rest of the story. "What does this spot mean to the galra?" Lance asked after a moment of silence. He pointed to the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Keith felt his face heat up slightly.

"That's where the galra mate-mark goes."

"Mate-mark?" Lance asked, waiting for a further explanation.

Keith didn't give him any. "What's this have to do with anything?" Lance bit his lip.

"When you were supposed to be killing me you…" He sighed and began to talk faster, trying to get it all over with as quickly as possible. "You grabbed my neck but then you," He paused, searching for the right word. "Mouthed at that spot. I pushed you off when you tried to bite me and then you tried to choke me to death." Lance placed a hand over the choke marks that Keith couldn't see clearly. "I think that you were trying to fight it but it didn't work. Then I…" Lance bit his lip.

"Do you ever feel like you can give someone an emotion? Like if you try hard enough and feel it strong enough you can like, send it out?"

Keith was stiff as he walked with Lance. There was a lot to think about and he was trying to think about it all at once. He almost didn't answer Lance's question- he was so taken back by the way that he described sharing emotions through a soul bond that he couldn't form the sentence he wanted.

"You probably don't. I'm probably just crazy. But I tried to break you out of it and you let go long enough to stop the galra." Lance summoned Blue down to him. "I'll meet you back at the Castle Keith." He gave him a weak smile and climbed up blue's ramp.

Keith watched him for only a moment before he was calling out. "Lance!" Once he turned back Keith said what needed to be said. "I'm sorry I did that to you."

"It's alright. It wasn't really you so you don't have to apologize." With that blue shut her jaw and Lance was gone from sight. Keith climbed into red and directed him back to the castle.

…

After debriefing and explaining what had happened to the red and blue paladins (excluding a few select details) Lance took a turn in the healing pods for his shoulder and throat. While he was doing that Keith asked Allura for a more thorough document on the Genopian crystals (Which she reminded him were called polenit crystals)

As he read through he tried to separate the important things from the useless information. A particular paragraph caught his eye.

 _The Polenit crystals also offer a strange mind control effect. Whoever touches an owned crystal to their bare skin can create an overpowering bond that can control the other. However, commands are limited to primal things to an unexperienced controller. Emotions like rage, sadness, fear, and lust are a few of the things that can be activated._

Keith couldn't stop thinking about the last sentence. He had been forced to kill Lance, but instead he tried to… mark him. That didn't make any sense if the soldier was just saying 'kill.'

He kept reading.

 _Though the crystals can control the owner completely, there have been cases where an order isn't carried out. This is found in people with strong bonds. Mated species under control of the crystals are unable to harm each other and the stronger the bond the more likely they will be able to speak with one who is being controlled._

 _Sometimes if the bond is strong but not fully developed the sent command is able to morph into a different primal urge. Instead of rage and the desire to kill it can change into another emotion like sadness._

Or lust.

Okay. He didn't hurt Lance at first because he's his Kalan. They aren't fully mated so it couldn't keep Lance completely safe but he was able to change the order to kill him into…

"Keith?" Lance's voice rang out behind him and Keith fumbled with his tablet, thinking of a way he could hide it before he remembered that it was all in galra characters and Lance wouldn't be able to read it.

"Are you alright?" Lance asked with a small smirk. "Did I catch you reading something naughty?" He waggled his eyebrows at Keith and rolled his eyes- which were human like most of him, the effects of the crystal finally wearing off.

"No." He turned the tablet off and tossed it beside him on his bed.

"You ready to start?" Lance asked, referring to the Spanish lesson Keith had forgotten he had promised a few quintants ago.

"I guess. As long as we aren't still talking about the _alphabet_." Keith moved over so that there was room on the bed for both of them to sit with their legs dangling off the edge. Lance pulled out his own tablet and opened it to the alphabet he had drawn out and Keith groaned. He hated all 27 letters of the damned thing.

"I'll make you a deal. If you can sound out two things correctly we will move on."

"Deal."

Lance smiled mischievously and pointed to ñ. Keith thought for a moment before sounding out the letter. "N-yayh." Lance nodded and then pointed to L. "L-lae."

"And if there were two L's how would you say it?"

"Eh-yeh. Come on Lance, I got this."

"You say that, but can you roll your 'r's?" Lance teased him as he tapped away on the tablet. Keith pouted.

"I'm working on it."

"Oh, would you like to show me your progress?" Lance stopped tapping to lean in close. Keith pouted even more, going as far as to cross his arms and look away. "If you can do it by the end of the lesson I'll tell you how to say one phrase in Spanish." Lance bribed.

Keith cut his gaze back to Lance. "Any phrase I want?" He asked hesitantly.

"Any phrase you want." He said it like a lion promising a gazelle he could come over for dinner- except the gazelle was dinner. "But if you can't do it then you have to do something for me."

"What?"

"Hm… Oh!" He smiled evilly. "You have to sing happy birthday in Spanish to the first person you see that isn't me. And you can't tell them what's going on."

"I would sing the words happy birthday to someone? That doesn't sound too bad."

"Oh no, not the words. The song. Humans have a song. I personally like the simple English version of happy birthday and it is shorter, so I'll teach it to you in Spanish and watch the mayhem unfold." He rubbed his hands together, already anticipating his victory.

"But it isn't anyone's birthday." He mumbled to himself.

"No but that's what makes it more fun. So, deal or not?" He held his hand out to shake on it. Keith honestly felt like he was getting the short straw here but he had a particular phrase in mind that he wanted to know.

He grabbed Lance's hand and shook it once. "Deal."

"Alright hot stuff. Show me what you got."

Keith raised his tongue to the roof of his mouth and began trying make the sound of a 'rolling r.' Mostly all he managed to do was blow a bunch of air out of him mouth while making a stupid sound in the back or his throat.

While he tried to readjust and make it work Lance started singing softly, getting progressively louder the longer he went.

"Feliz cumpleaños a ti, Feliz cumpleaños a ti," On the third verse he sang louder and drew out the 'años.' "Feliz cumpleaños a _Keith_ -" Before he could say anymore Keith gave up rolling his 'r's and put a hand over Lance's mouth to shove his face out of Keith's own.

"Shut up." He laughed before he let out a shout of surprise when Lance licked his hand. "Ew!" Keith vigorously wiped his hand over Lance's shirt as Lance laughed loudly at him.

"Feliz cumpleaños a ti!" He finished with a cheer.

"You're nasty."

"No, I have siblings." Lance rebutted. His smile softened. "You didn't have any brothers or sisters, did you?" Keith shook his head.

"No. But Aubr was like a sister to me."

They both sat there for a moment. Their vulnerabilities out for each other to see.

"What about Chorrol?" Lance asked, settling back against the wall again and readjusting his legs over the covers.

"Ha. I uh… I had a crush on Chorrol for… a long time." Keith found that he wasn't as embarrassed by this statement as he thought he would be.

"You two are really close… Do you still have a crush on him? I mean, he is _really hot_ after all."

"Lance!"

"What? I know how to appreciate fine goods. And his butt is- _mmmph._ " Keith shoved his pillow into Lance's face, finally feeling the blush burn his cheeks.

"I don't like him like that any more and don't say that about him!"

Lance removed the pillow from his face. "How about you then? Cause if his butt was silver then yours would be gold." His cocky words earned him another pillow smothering. "Uncle!" Could be heard over and over again, muffled behind two layers of fabric.

To prevent sending Lance back to the healing pods he relented and pulled the pillow away, but not after hitting him with it once more for good measure.

"Ouch!" Lance complained.

"It's a pillow."

"You can make anything a weapon if you throw it hard enough."

"Yeah, yeah." Keith tossed his pillow back to the top of his bed and grabbed Lance's tablet. "So what are we learning?"

Lance snatched the tablet back and began navigating it. "Well now that you know the letters and how to pronounce them, not counting the rolling r, I figure it's time you learn some words." He pulled up a chart with ten Spanish and galran words on it. "I managed to get Pidge and Allura to help me translate the galra. She changed the English to Altean and then Allura changed the Altean to Galra and now you have a vocab sheet. Here." He grabbed Keith's tablet and tapped the screens together, sharing the image. "I'll pronounce these and you say them back. I figured, every time you learn a set I can get you a new one."

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright then. Let's start."

Together they pronounced the words 'Yo, Mi, Tu, Nosotros, ellos, ellas, ella, él, usted, ustedes.'

Keith looked over the galra translation, noticing the words were all forms of people. I, me, your, they, ect.

"There are no objects on here." He noted.

"Yeah. I feel like getting these down first might help."

"Why are there two ways to say 'they'?"

And so, Lance taught him. He answered his questions and they told stories and smiled. Keith tried a few times to roll his 'r's but to no avail and by the end of the lesson he was getting desperate.

"Come on Lance, give me a hint, a tip, _something_!" Keith whined. Lance sighed and gave in.

"Fine. Sometimes its easier to do it if you have a word to say it with."

"Like?"

Lance thought for a moment. "The word that means 'to run' has a short one. _Correr_." Lance trilled the r perfectly and Keith was taken by how soft it sounded.

"Can you say it again?" Keith asked quietly, listening closely. Lance did and Keith resisted the urge to ask for a third demonstration.

"Correr." Keith spoke flatly. "Correr. Co _r_ rer. _Co_ rrer. Corr _er_." Keith chanted the same word over and over again, still failing on every try until.

 _Cute._

A foreign thought entered his mind. He slowly turned his head to catch Lance looking at him fondly. Lance quickly looked away and tried to pretend like he was very interested in his tablet.

"That thing you said earlier about sending emotions- It isn't stupid," Keith said. Lance's dark face turned slightly darker on his cheeks and when he opened his mouth to speak again Keith cut him off louder than necessary.

"Co _rrer_!" Keith trilled his r sloppily but well enough that it could obviously be heard. He let out a cheer and shoved Lance's shoulder playfully. "Ha! I win!"

"Aw man! I was so ready to hear happy birthday..." Lance pouted. Keith just smiled and continued celebrating by himself.

"Now for that phrase."

Lance turned his eyes towards Keith and heaved a sigh.

"Yeah, yeah. What do you want?"

"I want you to tell me how to say, 'Will you go on a date with me.'"

Lance thought for a moment before saying, "¿Quisieras salir conmigo?" then he added, "You trying to impress some space boys? Some Blade boys?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Lance." Keith said seriously. "¿Quisieras salir conmigo?"

Lance's eyes widened and he laughed nervously. "Yeah. That's how you say it. Great pronunciation too. You're really getting the hang of it."

"No Lance. ¿Quisieras salir conmigo? For real." Keith pushed. His stomach was churning nervously and he was beginning to think Lance was going to say no.

He had honestly been expecting Lance to react one of two ways.

One: Lance would say no. He would look at Keith kind of how he was looking at him now, confused and unsure. Then he would ask Keith 'why would I want to date you' and Keith would promptly fall over and die. (Not really)

Two: Lance would say yes. It would be cautious and he would be scrutinizing Keith with his eyes before nodding and telling Keith, 'I guess. No promises for anymore after the first one though.'

Keith had gotten it into his head that those were the only ways that Lance would react, so when things went completely haywire he had to take a moment to recompose himself.

"Why would you want to date _me_? Of all the people you could date in the entire universe... All the people that would die to date _you_! Are you pranking me?" Lance started off confused. Then he turned angry at the thought that Keith was joking.

"I'm not! I'm serious Lance! If you don't want to date me then just say no!" Keith was getting flustered and he didn't mean to say the last part but his heart was pounding so hard in his ears that it was difficult to think.

Lance was silent. He stared at Keith before turning his head to watch his fingers fiddle with the hem of his jacket.

"Yeah." He looked up with a tentative smile. "But," His eyes turned dark. "If this is all just some joke and you fuck with my feelings, I'll have Hunk and Pidge beat you up."

"It's not a joke and you won't have to worry about that." Keith promised him, unfazed by the threat because he knew he would never hurt Lance.

"Good, 'cause Pidge might be small but she isn't afraid to kick a dude where it counts." Keith laughed at that, noting how true it was.

"I guess that's enough Spanish for today." Lance said after a moment. Keith nodded his agreement. "Want to get some food? Hunk should be finishing up dinner right about now."

"Sounds like a plan." Keith pushed himself off the bed. The two of them left the room and started towards the kitchen. They didn't speak at first but then Lance nudged him with his shoulder.

"So where are you going to take me on this 'date.'"

 _Oh yeah. He actually needed to take Lance somewhere. Frack._

"It's… a surprise."

"Oh, is that code word for 'I haven't thought of a place and I don't have any plans but I accidentally asked you out in a spur of the moment decision'?" Lance teased.

"No. I have thought of a place and I do have a plan."

He _had_ thought of a place. Somewhere with rain. But that wasn't specific and he really didn't know of any planets with such a thing off of the top of his head. If he had to he would just take Lance to the space mall and they could goof off in there.

If Allura gave them a day off anytime soon that is.

"Hey Hunk, how's it going in here?" Lance asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Almost done, just have to put the food on the plates." Hunk's apron was tied around his waist and Keith's eyes were drawn to the words even though he already knew what they said.

"Nice." Lance stood by Hunk's side and watched him plate everything.

"You guys know the rules." Hunk looked between the two of them. "If you're in here its to help, not hinder."

"Ug, fine." Lance grabbed a bowl and began to help Hunk. Keith sat down on the stool across the counter, deciding that it was kind of crowded over there and it would be best if he just stayed put.

"Any clue what Allura has us doing tomorrow?" Lance asked.

"She told everyone earlier, I think you guys were still doing the Spanish lesson. She was going to mention it to you at dinner."

"Mm. Anything crazy?"

"Yeah. She said we were going back to Blade HQ since we're close by and she was going to tell them about those wonky crystals that the Galra were using. Some of the rebel forces are also going to meet us there, Matt included."

He was going to be visiting home? Allura should have told him sooner.

Lance stiffened for a moment before putting food into the last bowl. "The mind control crystals?"

"Yep. She had Shiro bring back a few crystals so that we could examine them and show them to Kolivan."

"Oh."

"Alright, lets get to the dinning room." Hunk stacked all of the dishes on top of a cart and lead the way.

At dinner Allura did tell the two of them about visiting Blade HQ. She didn't really go into detail but she mentioned that they would be there for a quintant or two to make sure everything was sorted out and to also run some maintenance on the castle that couldn't be done while it was actively moving.

"You can visit your family Keith. We'll have time." She told him. He was pleased that she had thought enough about it to leave him a little bit of time with them. When he looked away from her he saw the other Paladin's gazes. Hunk seemed distant as he stared into his food and Pidge played absently with her spoon, deep in thought. Lance gave him a soft smile but he could see the longing in his eyes.

When dinner was over they all said their goodnights and went to their separate rooms. Keith plopped down on his bed, messing up the covers beneath him as he let out a long sigh. He was pretty tired but his mind was racing.

He pulled out his communicator and scrolled through his few contacts. He decided to call Chorrol.

He picked up on the second ring, his light purple face filling the screen as he smiled, the long scar on his cheek pulling at his mouth as he did so.

"Hey." Keith said with a wide smile that he always had when he talked to Chorrol. He was his best friend after all.

"Hey! What's going on?"

"Are you going to be going with the group of rebels to Blade HQ tomorrow?"

Chorrol nodded. "Yeah. They wanted at least one field operative and a bunch of the rebels are scared of the blade, so I volunteered. And it probably didn't hurt that I used to be a blade."

"Good, I'll meet you there then."

"Yep." Chorrol's soft smile turned playful. "So…"

"So?"

"Have you done it yet?" Chorrol shifted the communicator as he sat forwards in his chair.

Keith cut his eyes to the side.

"You did! Fates Above! He said yes didn't he?"

Keith nodded and smiled softly. "He did."

"Ah! How did you do it? Was he surprised? Also, I told you he totally digged you. Did you kiss-"

"Chorrol, one at a time!"

"Ha sorry, you know how I get." Chorrol scratched his cheek bashfully. Keith _did_ know how he got, it had just been a while since he had been able to see it and he couldn't be more grateful. Chorrol had a way of getting him to speak with such earnesty and truth and not many people could manage that.

"He was teaching me Spanish- I already told you how we were doing that- and I won a bet so he had to tell me how to say one phrase in Spanish that I choose. I asked him how to say 'will you go on a date with me' and he told me. I asked him in Spanish and he didn't get it."

Chorrol laughed at him. "Oh, I can see his face now."

"Yeah he thought I was joking when I asked a second time but he finally said yes."

"That's awesome dude! You were worried for nothing."

"Actually, today probably was the worst day to do it. We had a rough morning." Chorrol raised his scarred eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Keith let out a sigh. "You'll be hearing about the crystals tomorrow- they have mind control properties and I got caught up in it. A soldier told me to kill Lance."

Chorrol's face turned worried. "But you obliviously didn't."

"No. Somehow the Kalan bond got in the way. He said I tried to mate-mark him while I was being controlled." Keith rubbed at him face. The thoughts had been weighing down on him and he really just wanted to get them out of his head.

"But you _didn't_. Right?" Chorrol understood the severity of the situation. If he had bitten Lance then…

It wouldn't have been good.

"I don't remember anything if I'm honest. Lance said he pushed me off before I could and then I…"

"Hey." Chorrol called out to him, sensing his distress. "You didn't mark him. He forgave you if you're dating- That's like human courting, right? And it wasn't you who were doing those things."

"Yeah." Keith said distantly.

"Yes. Keith, I know you're going to get hung up on this. If Lance can forgive you then you need to forgive yourself and move on."

Keith knew Chorrol was right. He couldn't even remember what he had done, so why should he agonize over it?

 _Because he had done something unforgivable._

How could he have hurt his Kalan? That was like tearing off a piece of his own soul. He was a terrible-

"Keith cut that out. I can see you over thinking it from here. Look, I'll see you tomorrow so if you still want to talk about it then we can." Chorrol promised.

Keith nodded. He needed to think of something else. "So, how's it going over there?"

"Ah, you wouldn't believe the crazy stuff they're making us do over here-"

He and Chorrol talked for a varga more before they both decided it was best to turn in, they both had things to do in the morning after all. They said goodnight and hung up.

Keith brushed his teeth, took off his day clothes and boots, and tugged on the Altean sleeping pants that Allura had given him.

He laid in his bed, looking up at the ceiling for a while. He blocked out all of the bad thoughts that tried to invade and focused instead on the good ones.

He had a date with Lance. He had a chance to show Lance just how important he was to Keith. To show him how much he cared about him.

He had a chance to do things right.

And he wouldn't give it up for anything.

* * *

 **Donate to my Ko-fi if you liked this chapter! It's three dollars. Just go onto and my username is renncandraw**

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	5. Chapter 5

Lance awoke with a start. It was still dark in his room, which meant that he should still be sleeping but his heart was racing as if he had just sprinted a mile. Something was wrong.

He got up.

He didn't think about where his feet were taking him, he just let them carry him down the hall to the first door he came across. He opened the door, not even bothering to knock as it let out a soft _swoosh_ sound and slid into the wall.

His eyes darted towards the bed where Keith was sitting up with a hand clutching at his bare chest. He was breathing heavily and he seemed unaware of the tears running down his face.

"Keith." Lance took a few steps closer and Keith's head shot up to look at him. His previously blank face contorted into one of equal parts relief and despair.

"Lance." His voice broke and Lance was by his side in an instant as he began to sob. He sank onto the bed and wrapped his arms around Keith, who was quick to cling tightly to the back of his shirt.

"Was it a nightmare?" Lance asked softly, rocking Keith back and forth ever-so-slightly. He felt Keith nod his head against his shoulder, his silky ears brushing against his cheek as he did so. He hushed him. "You can talk about it, or we could just sit here and I'll hold you."

The fact that Lance didn't get a response was answer enough. He brushed a hand through Keith's hair as he hummed aimlessly.

After a while his humming turned into an all too familiar song and he began to rub Keith's ear gently with one hand while the other rubbed his back.

Lance thought the lyrics in his head as he hummed the melody.

 _You are my sunshine_

 _My only sunshine_

 _You make me happy-_

"I know that song," Keith said with a gruff voice. He had stopped crying but he was still trembling.

"Really? How?" Lance pulled Keith away just a little bit so that he could look at his face. It was flushed and his eyes were red, but not nearly as red as his lips.

"I've heard you sing it." He laid his head back on Lance's chest. "It's nice."

Lance felt a smile lift his lips and his heart swell. He said nothing more, just kept rubbing Keith's ears.

They could have stayed like that for a few minutes or a few hours but Lance would have stayed even longer if he didn't know that they both needed sleep for tomorrow.

"Come on Keith," he whispered. Keith stirred. "Lay down. Got a long day of explaining the same thing ten times in a row."

Keith snorted at his joke and Lance felt a wave of pride come over him. Keith laid down as Lance stood. He pulled the covers over himself and turned onto his side to look at Lance lazily.

"Thank you."

Lance smiled. "Goodnight Keith. Come get me if you need anything else." Keith's eyes were already closing as he nodded. Lance waited a few more seconds before making his way quietly out of the room. By the time he was laying in his own bed his eyes were closed and he was seconds away from sleep. The last thing to cross his mind was Keith.

…

When Lance woke up he wasn't sure if he had dreamed what happened last night or if he had actually woken up just as soon as Keith needed him.

When he joined the others at breakfast he caught Keith's eye and gave a smile. Keith smiled back gently and Lance knew that he hadn't been dreaming. He plopped himself down in the chair beside him.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Hunk passed him a bowl of food goo.

"Yeah, yeah. I know I'm beautiful." Lance dug into his breakfast, only slightly disappointed that Hunk didn't cook this morning.

"As soon as everyone is finished with breakfast we will join Kolivan and the others in the Blade for a quick briefing before the rebels arrive." Allura sat regally in her chair, sipping on a drink from which small tendrils of steam rose from.

Everyone nodded. Pidge yawned loudly and soon Hunk was following suit; then Shiro and Lance fell victim to the contagion simultaneously. Keith was next, his mouth opening wide and his little galra fangs sticking out as his eyes watered and he brought a hand up to cover his gaping mouth.

"Look what you started Pidge," Lance yawned again.

"Suffer fools."

Allura was next, not even covering her mouth as she let out a loud yawn.

"No stop!" Lance yawned for a third time, eyes watering as he stood up and started to leave the room, drink in hand. He stopped at the doorway and turned around. He stared directly at Keith and then cut his eyes to the doorway.

 _Come on._

When Keith cocked his head to the side and raised one eyebrow Lance huffed out a sigh. "Are you coming?"

"That's what he said." Pidge added in helpfully.

This was why he tried not to say anything in the first place.

"Shut up, Pidge." Lance stuck his tongue out at her and she did the same as Keith stood slowly.

"What's happening?" He asked more to himself than anyone else as he came closer. However, Hunk decided he should answer.

"Pidge is hinting that you two are together."

"But we are?" Keith had reached Lance's side.

"Haha yeah, we are standing _together_ ," Lance laughed nervously as he spoke.

"Pidge meant it in a dirty way." Hunk continued, grinning evilly.

"What does _that_ mean?" Keith took a step back into the room and Lance could help but to grunt in frustration at the back tracking.

"She meant it in a sexual way now go!" Shiro, surprisingly, cut in. He sounded distraught.

Keith's cheeks turned a dark color and he turned around without a word- leaving with embarrassment.

"Good job Pidge, you broke him!" Lance pointed at her as he left. Fleetingly as the doors closed he heard her shout back, "Shiro's the one who clarified not me!"

Lance decided to ignore that for now and catch up to Keith who was still blushing. Even when Lance reached his side he didn't say a word, so Lance broke the silence.

"So, when you asked to go on a date with you…" Just thinking about Keith saying those words made Lance grin as a giddy feeling filled his stomach.

"I meant it Lance. I want to be with you." Keith, though he was still red in the face, was looking at him so seriously that there was no way for him to doubt his words.

"So, are we together now then? Like boyfriends?"

Keith bit his lip, catching Lance's gaze before turning away as he thought. "I am unsure what that means. We have always been boyfriends."

"No, I mean are we dating?"

"I'm taking you on a date?" Keith didn't seem to be getting it.

"Okay, this isn't working. I didn't think that space dating would be so hard."

"I don't know much about human courting traditions. I have only been able to ask the others how it works and some of them were…" Keith grimaced. "Less than helpful."

With the way Keith said it all Lance could imagine was a bespeckled Pidge misinforming Keith with a smirk.

Then another thought crossed his mind.

"Wait," He stopped Keith and grabbed his hand to turn him towards him. "How long have you been planning on asking me out?"

He didn't let go of Keith's hand.

"A… a while. Why? It doesn't really matter _when_ because I have a chance with you _now_."

Lance's heart throbbed and his mouth fell open before he shut it with a surprised click. "Hey, _I'm_ supposed to be the suave cheesy one here _. I'm_ the one who should be making your heart melt."

"But you already do that." Keith smiled at him sincerely in the small way that he only showed Lance.

 _K.O._

 _Lance exe. Has stopped working._

Lance didn't think he had ever been so flustered and in lo- flustered at once.

"Lance?" Keith waved the hand Lance wasn't holding in front of Lance's eyes and snapped him out of it.

"No, I don't think we can be together if you're going to be that smooth." Lance shook his head.

Keith's eyes snapped open and Lance could tell that he had taken him seriously. Before Keith could get a word out Lance rolled his eyes and pulled him in close.

"Then again, you really don't get the whole boyfriends' thing so I guess that evens you back out again."

Keith was extremely confused and it showed in the way his eyes were narrowed and his mouth was twisted in a tight line. He didn't seem to mind Lance's sudden proximity though, even going as far as to wrap an arm around his waist and look into his eyes.

"You'll have to explain it to me better."

"Asking me on a date doesn't make me your boyfriend- it makes me your date for one night. But as your boyfriend we could go on as many dates as we want. And we would also be able to do thi-"

"Lance, Keith. We landed 3 minutes ago and are waiting in the docks." Allura's voice rang out over the speakers. "Get here." She wasn't happy about their tardiness.

 _Dammit Allura. The moment was_ perfect. _And now it's gone._

"I guess we should get going then. We still need to get our armor." Keith sighed. He readjusted his jacket and withdrew himself from Lance's heat.

 _I'll get you back for this Allura. I swear it._

"Yeah."

…

When the two of them stepped out of the castle of Lions they were greeted by Z. She hugged both of them as if she had known them for her whole life and, strangely enough, it felt like she really had. Lance talked to her over the communicator every so often and he knew that Keith was much closer with her than any other woman in the blade. It was nice being able to speak with someone you weren't stuck on a castle in space with 24/7 after all.

"How have you guys been?" Z asked them.

"Good." Keith said simply with a smile.

"I'm excited to see the famous 'blade HQ' where this one grew up!" Lance nudged Keith with his shoulder and Z shot him a smirk.

"The Rebels aren't here yet- they had a small emergency pop up as they were leaving. They said that they should be here by the end of the quintant though, so we've got ample time for a tour." Z suggested.

"So Chorrol isn't here yet?" Keith asked hopefully. Z shook her head as Keith frowned. Lance bit his lip as his stomach churned with a feeling he understood, but was unfamiliar too.

Jealousy.

He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it. Chorrol was Keith's closest friend- but he was also his past crush and a part of Lance was still wary of that.

"He isn't gone forever, he'll be here." When Keith looked at him with a shocked expression he realized that he may have made a mistake.

 _That was probably the worst way that I could have worded that. Wait to bring up his best friend's 'death' and some of his worst memories._

"Paladins." Allura's voice called out to everyone who had scattered about in small groups. "It seems we have a bit of time before the rebels arrive. Kolivan has informed me that you are free to roam the base while we wait or stay in the castle."

"Nice!" Hunk said as he gave Pidge a high five. Shiro just smiled at them.

"I'm going to go talk to my parents for a dobash." Keith walked away from their group and approached Thace and Kolivan who were closer to Allura and Shiro.

Lance sighed. "Wait to go Lance." He mumbled under his breath as he berated himself.

Z gave him a sympathetic look and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "He knows you didn't mean it like that."

"Ha, tell that to the face that he just made." Z frowned.

"Is there something going on between you two? You seemed kind of... off when he mentioned Chorrol."

Damn Z, being observant. It must be a Galra super power or something because Keith had it too. Most of the time at least. Some things he was totally oblivious too.

"I mean..." Were they a secret? Can Lance tell Z about the date or would Keith want to keep them on the down low?

He probably wouldn't mind telling Z.

"We are closer in a sort of way. He doesn't seem to understand the human terms so I don't know if you would either."

"Well I'm happy to listen."

"Actually," Lance suddenly had an idea. "Could you explain the galra side of things- like courting. That way I could understand how it usually works for you guys."

Z hummed as she thought before nodding her head. "I could explain it now, but it looks like Keith is coming back."

"Let's do it later. It might get... embarrassing if he's here too." Z nodded with a sweet smile. Lance glanced over his shoulder and saw that Keith was, in fact, returning. However, his dads were also coming over, which may or may not have given Lance a sudden pang of anxiety.

"Since we've got so much time I was going to catch up with my dads for a bit, you're free to come with me."

It wasn't an offer or suggestion. Keith wasn't asking and Lance could tell by the way he set his mouth and then snapped his eyes from his dads back to Lance.

He definitely hadn't planned on a whole 'meet the parents' episode for so many reasons. He hadn't even gone on this promised 'date' yet after all, but Keith seemed pretty serious about it.

But hey, what's the worst he can do? Say something stupid. Ha, as if.

 _Shit, don't fuck this up. Be cool._

"Yeah, sure. I'll come with you guys."

 _Okay, that was pretty good. Just keep it up you can do this._

"Great." Keith looked to Z to see if she realized that he had been talking solely to Lance when he made the offer.

"I would love to but I just remembered that I had that thing to do- over there. Have fun though!" And with that Z was gone.

 _No backup?_

"Lance, you coming?" Keith and his parents had already started walking in the other direction. Lance took a few fast steps and caught up with the small group. He walked behind them as they held a quiet conversation. Keith said something and at Thace's response his face went red and he peered back at Lance to see if he had heard. Then he slapped Thace on the shoulder while Thace chuckled softly at him.

Not too much later they made it to a hallway full of doors with numbers on them. The group continued on for a while before stopping and using a key to open one of the doors.

Inside was what Lance could only describe as an apartment.

They entered into a living room of sorts, with a small couch and two chairs on either side. To the left was a door and what appeared to be a kitchen. Directly ahead, behind the couch was a closed door. The same to the right.

"Your dad and I will get some drinks ready, why don't you show Lance around." Kolivan addressed Keith.

"We're not 12." Keith mumbled under his breath. This earned him a gentle slap on the back of his head. Keith sent a look of reluctance before taking a breath. Starting from the left he began in rapid succession, "Bathroom, kitchen, dads' room, my room. Also, this is a general living room area." He ended with a flippant wave of his hand towards the couches. He sent his father a challenging look which was returned with an eye roll.

"Don't make me bring out the baby pictures." Thace called from the kitchen where he was already grabbing random things. The way Keith's eyes widened made Lance laugh.

"Lance, let's go to my room- where my parents aren't." With that Keith grabbed Lance by the wrist (gently) and pulled him to the door on the far right.

Keith pushed the door open and waited for Lance to enter before closing the door behind him. Once shut his shoulders slouched and he let out a sigh. "Sorry. They…" He didn't finish, just shrugged his shoulders.

"It's fine. I'm sure my parents would be absolutely drilling you right now if you were the one meeting them so I get it." Lance turned towards the rest of the room.

 _Oh._

The first thing that caught his eye were the three shelves on the wall that looked packed to capacity with what Lance could only assume were comic books. Then the small stand to the left of the bed that held little figurines in different fighting poses. There was a small door on the right side of the room that was probably a closet, judging by the clothes that were folded on the floor in front of it, close but not quite put away. However, poster above the bed took most of Lance's attention. It had big unreadable Galra symbols skewed across the bottom and a large ominous… moth-like creature above them.

"Nice poster." Lance walked confidently forward, throwing himself onto Keith's gray covered bed. He landed on something soft and pulled it out from behind him. "Is this a hippo?" Lance lifted one of the stubby gray legs and stared into it's yellow button eyes. When he looked up Keith's face was flushed and his arms were crossed and he had a small pout on his lips as he looked away.

Lance laughed at him. "What's his name?" He sat up and held the Hippo close, giving it a small hug. He had a toy shark back home like this. He missed Sharky.

Keith snapped out of his embarrassment for a moment to say, " _Her_ name is Pippy." As soon as the words left his mouth he seemed to realize what he had said and flushed even more. His gaze moved down to the side of the bed and his eyes widened. He moved closer and then tried to discreetly kick whatever he had seen under the bed.

 _Probably dirty clothes._

"How do you have a hippo plush out in space?" Lance held the hippo up onto of his head, smiling brightly as the legs dangled down in his peripheral vision.

"My mom gave it too me before she died. It was something from my dad back on earth. She told Kolivan that he had won it for her at a 'fair'… Whatever that is."

"That's sweet. A fair is like an amusement park but more lowkey." Keith gave him a blank look. "Never mind."

He pulled Pippy off of his head and placed it on top of Keith's head. Keith stayed still but gave him an unamused look as Lance positioned her so that she wouldn't fall.

 _This is the cutest damn thing I have seen in my entire life_.

"Don't move." Lance fumbled for the 'phone' that Pidge and Allura had teamed up to make each of the paladins. It took him a moment to get it out of the side pocket of his armor but he managed.

"Wha-" Before Keith could figure out what he was doing Lance had snapped a picture. Scratch that- _multiple_ pictures. Each click accompanied by an obnoxious camera sound. "Lance, cut that out." Keith carefully pulled Pippy off of his head.

"Sorry, too cute," Lance found himself not regretting the words he spoke in the slightest when Keith began sputtering.

"Delete them- I swear if anyone else sees-"

"Nope, not gonna happen." Lance grinned mischievously. Keith let out a little huff of breath, carefully placing Pippy on top of his pillow. For a moment Lance thought Keith had given in.

That moment ended quickly.

Once Pippy was safe Keith lunged at Lance's phone with all the desperateness of a cat about to be thrown in a tub of water.

Yelling, stumbling, and knocks against the wall ensued. Lance pushed Keith off of him with a gleeful shout and stood on top of the bed, holding his phone above and behind himself as he pushed Keith away with his other hand. Keith reached out, his human arm too short to reach. The clank of their armor as it collided together made a dull persistent sound as the struggle continued.

Some how they found themselves wrestling on the floor, Keith turned more galra than human to extend his reach and strength as he and Lance rolled around.

That was when a knock sounded at the door. They ceased all movement for a solid tick as they waited for something else to happen.

"Whatever is happening in there is earning complaints from the neighbor. Also, the drinks are ready." Kolivan's voice held no emotion.

The same could not be said for Keith as he stuttered out a response of, "We're coming."

Poor choice of words.

At least _Lance_ thought it was as he laughed at Keith. Keith slapped his shoulder none too lightly and pushed himself up before holding out a hand for Lance. When Lance was standing again he didn't let go, he pulled him closer and whispered into his ear.

"I won't forget about this. I'll get you back." His hot breath ghosted across his skin before he turned away, leaving Lance rightfully dazed. Keith made it all the way out of the room before Lance blinked and followed after him.

Keith was already sitting on the couch with his parents, reaching for a glass from the small table in front of him. Lance took a tentative seat in the chair beside the couch on Keith's side.

There was another glass on the table so Lance reached out and grabbed it. As he raised it to his lips he noticed that the conversation had stalled and three sets of eyes were focused on him. A jolt of uncomfortableness shocked through him and his mind supplied him with some reasons for their focus.

 _That's not your drink._

 _You've just insulted them._

 _You weren't supposed to sit down here._

 _This must be a sacred chair._

 _Oh god you're gonna get kicked out and Keith's parents are going to hate you-_

"Well? Take a sip," Thace supplied with a quiet excitement. Lance felt the anxiousness recede to the back of his mind with Thace's words. He tipped the glass back and was hit with a taste so sweet it was almost sickening. When he swallowed he could swear that his teeth shuddered and cavities began to form.

He tried not to make a face. He really did.

"What do you think?" Thace asked.

"It's," Lance tried to swallow the after-taste down but it still lingered. He would kill for some water right now. "Very," _gross_ "Sweet."

Keith laughed but pulled a hand over his mouth to cover it. His parents looked at him and then at Lance.

"Don't worry Lance. It's not for everyone. Galra tend to like things _very_ sweet."

"No, no, its fine. I," Another shudder shook his frame as he recalled the taste and thought of taking another sip.

"Lance. We know you don't like it," Keith said. Lance just nodded his head and placed the drink back on the table. That was one fight that he wasn't going to try to win.

Keith stood from the couch, going into the kitchen to retrieve a pouch of water and bringing it back to Lance. With a small 'thank you' he took the water and tried to get the leftover icky taste out of his mouth.

"So, Lance, what were you doing before you became a Paladin?" Kolivan asked.

"I was going to school on earth. I was trying to become a pilot." Kolivan hummed in response to him.

"And is everyone who trains to become a pilot so scrawny?"

"Father!"

"It's a serious question Keith. With one so skinny you should be worried about breaking him."

"Breaking me?"

"He's fine, you don't have to ask him why he's thin."

"Did you eat enough when you were growing? Or is this just a part of your growth cycle before you begin to get larger?"

Keith groaned and ran a hand down his face.

"Um. No? My mom was a great cook so she feed me plenty. I guess I just have a fast metabolism? I had a growth spurt last year and grew like 4 inches in a month so all the extra body fat I had was used to make me taller."

"Mhm. Do all humans have this growth spurt?"

"Uh, no. Everyone is different and depending on where they're from and who their parents are they grow differently."

"Mhm." Another hum.

The conversation continued on similar to this, the galra asking Lance question about human culture and how Lance was raised, his strength, stamina, and mind. Every so often the conversation would dip into dangerously awkward territory like when Kolivan asked about human anatomy. _All_ human anatomy. Luckily Keith stepped in and steered the conversation elsewhere when that happened.

At one point Lance asked about Keith.

"What was he like when he was little?"

Thace smiled. "He was the sweetest little one we had ever seen. He used to follow Koli around and copy him when he was giving orders with a little pout and his hands on his hips." He stood up. "I have pictures actually."

"Dad no!"

"Dad yes." Thace disappeared into the room behind the couches and returned a moment later with a small device that he set on the table. He clicked a few buttons and then a holographic display opened to a start menu. With a few more taps pictures opened and flooded the room.

Lance was first amazed by the technology- it was amazingly innovative after all. But then he saw the what the pictures held.

Little baby Keith. There was a Keith being held in Thace's arms as he slept with a peaceful expression. Thace was looking at the camera with a prideful grin.

There was Keith with food all over his face, green against purple, as he looked up at the camera with a huge grin. His ears were human in that picture.

Keith who was the size of a toddler, he looked like he had fallen asleep while Kolivan was giving him a ride on his shoulders and Keith's head was resting right in between Kolivan's ears.

Lance looked to his left and saw a row of pictures that looked like they had been taken at the same time and place. Keith was still only the size of a toddler but it looked like he was planet side. He was holding one of his parent's hands but you couldn't see the rest of them. There was a small animal about the size of a Boston terrier, but it had a large bushy tail like a squirrel. He was looking at it apprehensively.

In the next photo the animal was closer and Keith had stepped back closer to his father with a panicked look on his face.

In the next photo he had completely hidden his face behind his father's knees and the animal hadn't moved at all.

The final photo was taken like a selfie. Thace was holding the camera, as well as the small creature in the other photos. Kolivan was by his side, holding Keith against his hip. Everyone was looking at the camera with a smile except Keith, who was looking at the animal with a sour expression- his eyebrows lowered and his mouth in a frown while his ears folded back.

These were the sweetest photo's he had ever seen. Baby Keith looked so happy.

"Here's the photo I was talking about."

Lance turned towards Thace, catching a glimpse of Keith as he did. Keith was looking around at the photos with a fond expression.

Lance took a step around the chair towards Thace and approached the photo set.

Kolivan was standing before a large crowd. Whoever had been taking the picture was somewhere near the back, but tall enough to get a clear photo without it being blocked by anyone's head. On Kolivan's left and slightly behind him was Thace, who was looking down towards a little Keith who looked to be about 6 years old on Kolivan's opposite side.

Keith had one hand in the air just like Kolivan, his small chest puffed out and his ears at attention, his eyes were focused on his father.

One picture over Keith had both of his hands held out at a 90-degree angle from his body like he was offering something and he had a fake pout on his lips that was ruined by a lopsided grin. Thace was smiling now.

The pictures went on like that until Thace had walked behind Kolivan, picking Keith up and placing him on his shoulders. They faced the crowd together.

In the final picture both of them were copying a still unsuspecting Kolivan and people in the crowd could be seen turning to each other and smiling in amusement.

"I had no idea why the Blades before me were suddenly hiding their smiles but I assumed that it had something to do with you two." Kolivan commented, joining Thace's side.

"The assembly had been quite dull." A quiet hiss left Thace's lips when Kolivan punched his arm.

Lance turned to Keith to get his input but he was looking at a different picture. Lance came closer until could make out three Galran figures grinning before a camera in a docking bay. Keith's face was solemn as he plucked the picture out from the air and pulled it closer to him.

"What's that?" Lance asked softly. Keith startled a bit, his eyes widening as his head snapped to Lance, but he calmed before looking back to the picture.

"This is my team before I met you guys," He turned the picture so that Lance could see it more clearly. He quickly made out Keith, short and in his galra form, beside a much taller girl. Her hair was in a braid over her shoulder which vaguely reminded him of Z, but this girl's face was much more cat like. On the other side of the girl was a short boy (though not as short as Keith he still did look shorter than average) who was pale purple and obviously Chorrol. Lance had to do a double take because this Chorrol was smiling brightly, his face scar-less and free from the heaviness of war.

"That's me. Then Chorrol is on the other side. This," He paused as he gestured to the girl with a slightly shaking finger. "this was Aubr." He sighed but let his mouth rest in a small grin.

"She's gorgeous." Lance said, wrapping an arm around Keith's shoulders. He was telling the truth. With her high cheek bones, narrow nose, wide eyes you would be hard pressed to say she hadn't grown into a beautiful woman.

"Yeah she was." Keith's voice was steady and strong. "Chorrol really loved her you know? I loved her too. We both miss her a lot."

"Do Galra believe in the afterlife?" Lance asked softly.

Keith nodded. "We call it The Above. It's where the Fates reside and watch over the ones who are gone until their sprits are able to reform."

"It sounds nice."

Keith nodded his head again. "Before we left for the castle ship- after we were saved by the rebels- Chorrol and I were saying goodbye. I… I know that she was saying goodbye too. We could both feel her leaving."

With no way to respond Lance gave Keith a soft squeeze and looked around at the other pictures in this area of the room. They showed Keith with either Aubr or Chorrol, most of them with all three.

Keith smiled as he looked at them.

…

At some point Kolivan was called away to help 'the council' whatever that was. Thace was called to go with them and Keith received a call on his communicator.

Chorrol had been sent ahead along with a few other rebels but the leader was still running behind, he wanted to return to the base to explain what had happened and drop off the fugitives so he sent the others ahead.

"Go ahead and met up with him, I think Z and I were going to hang out for a while."

"Really? Are you sure?" Keith cocked his head to the side.

"Yeah really. I'll call her right now."

Lance called Z's communicator with his 'phone' and she picked up on the second ding. "Hey, are you free to hang out right now?"

"Yeah, where are you?"

"Keith's room."

"Okay, have Keith lead you to my apartment, I'll meet you there in a dobash."

"Cool." He hung up. "Keith, you know the way to Z's?"

* * *

 **Check out my for earlier access to chapters! My user name is Renncandraw**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Bye Keith," Lance waved as Keith left to go meet with Chorrol before he turned to Z. "Let's do this." Z rolled her eyes with a smile before stepping into her apartment-like room.

"Alrighty, welcome to my humble abode. You want anything to drink before we start talking like girls at a sleep over?" She walked into the kitchen as she spoke over her shoulder. Lance had a momentary flash back to the horrible drink he had with Keith and shuddered.

"Do you have any water?"

"Mhm." She grabbed two and made her way back to Lance. Her place was much different than Keith's. Though the kitchen living room combo was the same, her bed was also on display in the corner. The only other door in apartment leading to what Lance assumed was a bathroom.

She sat herself on one of the two chairs she had by the table in the kitchen and Lance followed her lead, grabbing the water she passed to him as he plopped down.

"Okay, now why don't you tell me how much you know." Z hummed as she leaned back comfortably and sipped at her water.

"Hm. I mean… I don't know a lot. I know that Galra have like- mates for life I guess. And mate-marks which I still don't quite understand. And they don't really care about what sexuality you are… uh…" Lance racked his brain for answers and the longer he thought about it the faster he realized that he didn't know much _at all._ "Keith didn't know what dating really meant or what boyfriends meant. So. Yeah. I think that's it." Lance grabbed his water and took a sip.

"I thought that-"

A sudden thought came to mind, "Oh! And I know that Galra have soul mates... Right? What were they called again?"

"Kalans. They are very rare and not to be taken lightly."

Lance leaned forward, a furrow in his brow. "Obviously. I mean- If humans had soul mates they wouldn't have to date in the first place. Just search them out and be happy. Happiness shouldn't be taken lightly."

The smile that Z sent him was much more knowing than it should have been and had Lance wondering what it meant.

"Lance, why don't you tell me about Keith? He's the reason you want to know all of this, right?" Lance felt his face flush just a bit before a soft smile joined his dark cheeks.

"Yeah. Uh, well, Keith and I… I don't even know where to start." Lance let out a little chuckle, placing his elbows on the table so he could rest his chin on his hands. "I was the first one to see him and I immediately tried to shoot him- I'm really glad I missed. Despite that he still saved my life. Me, a total stranger who had just tried to put a laser though him. All of this crazy stuff happened and he didn't have a lot of reason to trust me or help me but he just kept coming back. He saved me for the second time once he joined us on the castle of lions. He pushed away my insecurities and comforted me when I needed it most. He tries so hard to protect us."

Lance took a sip of his water, clearing his throat before continuing. "He's so strong. He wouldn't say it out loud but he was willing to sacrifice everything for us. For me. When he got separated from the team and found us in the middle of stealing the red lion back he dropped everything to save Pidge. He fought with me to make sure she was safe. In those cells…" Lance took a small breath, still not fully capable of talking about the next part without preparing himself.

"When I got my carvings, he broke out of his shackles to get to me. He… He was exactly what I needed in that moment and I don't even know how to describe what it felt like to be held by him. It was like… Like if I was hidden in his arms the universe couldn't touch me." Lance gazed at the far wall for a moment, his mind swimming.

There was a pregnant pause before he continued. "He just makes me so happy, you know? I know you saw what the galra did to me right after you got us out and I guess that's why I find it so easy to talk to you about this."

Lance unbuckled his chest piece and unzipped the back of his suit, turning to show Z the carving on his skin.

"I know, that _you_ know, that this wasn't what was there before."

He glanced over his shoulder to see Z's reaction. Her eyes were wide and her lips formed a small 'o' as she reached out before pulling her hand back.

"It's beautiful." She said, her voice quiet.

"Keith did it." He zipped his suit back up but left his chest plate on the floor. It was heavy anyways. "He offered to change all of the carvings. I can't read Galran, but just knowing what was on my skin was… It made me feel wrong. And Keith changed all of the words to something that made me happy. Now I the thought of having this carving on my skin forever isn't unbearable."

Another sip of water as he tried to remember what Z's question was in the first place. He knows that he tends to ramble but it usually isn't this bad.

"He just does so much for me. Without a second thought. He's learning a whole new language for fu- goodness sake. Just because I miss home. That boy asked around the ship- probably being teased and lied too- to figure out the 'proper way' to ask me out. Then he went and used my native tongue to do it. He's the sweetest, most caring, badass person I've ever met."

Lance let his own words sink in, the heat on his face making a return. He had never really said any of this out loud and thinking about it now he can't believe that he didn't realize how much he liked Keith sooner. He covered his face with his hands.

"Dios… I'm such an idiot." He looked up at Z who was giving him the softest yet most smug look he had ever seen on her.

"You're not an idiot."

"No, really, I am. It took me so long to figure it out and I've known the whole time I just was too dense to think it could be something more. Ugh. I didn't even have a thought about it until yesterday with the crystals and-"

"Wait, what happened yesterday?" Z stopped his rambling.

"Yesterday? Those crystals that we're all here to discuss, yeah they have mind control and it basically turns people into Zombies."

Z raised an eyebrow. "Zombies?"

"Lifeless things? It makes people do whatever the controller wants but without the person really being there. It's like they just zoned out."

"And Keith was like that?"

Lance rubbed his face. He wanted to get this off of his chest but he didn't want anyone else to know. He knew that Keith hadn't meant to do those things… He just wanted to kill him… yeah.

Screw it, he can tell her. She'll keep it between the two of them.

"You can't tell anyone about this next part okay." He waited for Z to confirm her secrecy before continuing. "The Galra controlling him was telling him to kill me but he was doing weird things instead. He was… mouthing at this spot." He raised a hand to his neck. "He told me after that it was the Galra mate marking spot. While he was still under I was able to get him to stop. It didn't work so well when I pushed him off of me but… Okay, you're going to think I'm crazy. Keith said it wasn't crazy but I think he was just being nice."

One breath to pause for suspense. "I kind of… thought really hard that I wanted him to stop and pushed that feeling and then he did." Lance waited for her reaction. For her to call him weird and laugh. He should have known that Z wouldn't do that to him.

"Lance, how about I tell you about the Galra now? Everything will start making sense."

Lance nodded his head taking a drink from his half empty cup as he leaned back in his chair, prepared to shut up and listen.

"Let's start with the mate mark." She raised her hand to the joint of her neck and shoulder. "When galra are courting they end their courtship by either going their separate ways, or marking each other. This basically seals the deal. It creates a soul link to the other person so that you are together in a way that normal people aren't."

"So, it makes you soul mates? I thought that only Kalans were soul mates…"

"Yes and no. With a Kalan, they already have a soul link- but it's called a soul bond. This is stronger and offers other things, but we'll get to that in a minute. Before a Galra can create a soul link they have to court for at least one Phoeb but can court longer if they would like. During the first movement of courting either member must find a gift for the other. It doesn't really matter what, just so long as they would enjoy it. In the second movement they explore each other's strengths and weaknesses so that they have the chance to grow as a couple. Third movement they participate in a ceremonial fight, determining the dominate partner, though this can change at any time. Finally, in the last movement either partner fights their mate's parents-"

Lance's eyes went wide as he cut in, "Wait, wait, wait. You mean that I have to fight Thace and Kolivan if I court Keith?" Lance could handle finding a present and fighting Keith and whatever else she had said but fighting the _leaders_ of the _Blade of Marmora_?!

"Well… yeah I guess so. Do humans not do that?"

"No!" Lance let his head _thunk_ solidly onto the table with a sigh. "What happens when they beat my ass?"

"Generally, it doesn't matter who wins or loses, but the parents decide if you should be allowed to mate the other due to the outcome of the fight. If you fought hard and gave it your all then you would probably be fine. It's like a test to make sure that you are able to protect their child."

 _Okay that's not as bad as I thought._

"Anyways, that's the basics of Galra courting. Back to the Kalan."

Lance lifted his head up, lazily resting it on his hand once more.

"When some one has a Kalan and in turn, a soul bond, they are able to share thoughts and emotions telepathically."

… _wait a second…_

"The bond between them is so strong that they are able to share pieces of their souls, and that's how they can communicate. But this can backfire…" Z trailed off for a moment, making Lance scoot to the edge of his seat as he waited for her to continue. "Should a Kalan be rejected by its other half then they would die from soul break. In regular mates it is called a bond break and though it is survivable, it also has adverse effects. With Kalans it is never survivable."

"Z." Z met Lance's gaze. "Do you have to be pure galra to have a Kalan?"

"No."

"Does… how do you know if you have a Kalan? How would you be able to tell?"

"Well, being able to speak to someone without actually talking is one way. Pushing emotions; the affect of an empathy bond is another. And then the general feeling of being drawn towards someone."

Lance didn't know what to say anymore.

Could it be true? Was it actually possible for his soul to be bonded to…

Suddenly his anxieties began to hit.

 _Great, you've trapped a wonderful person with you forever. He'll probably hate you for that. Stuck with you even when he finally wants to leave. Who would want to listen to you talking all the time anyways? Hiding how you really feel. Keeping me hidden…_

"Z?" his voice came out weaker than he wanted it. She sent him a warm smile that only made him feel a _little_ better. "Do Kalans always love their other half? Or when they find out who they really are… Are they just disappointed?"

Z's smile changed into a frown as she reached across the table to grab Lance's hand and hold it between her own.

"Your Kalan loves you _so much_ , and I don't think that anything will _ever_ change that."

Lance looked at their hands as he thought.

He really needed to talk to Keith.

"You want to talk to him now don't you?" Z asked as her lips curled up. Lance nodded his head and they stood from the table and began to make their way back towards Keith's apartment where he and Chorrol were sure to be.

They had almost reached the door when Lance felt a sudden sinking in his stomach. He recognized the feeling as that which he had felt last night when Keith had been having a nightmare.

That was all the warning he needed to know something was going wrong. He charged forward, about to start pounding on the door when it opened for him, Chorrol standing above him with a panicked look on his face.

"Where's Keith?" Lance demanded, Z right behind him as he pushed his way inside. He didn't need Chorrol to answer because he immediately caught sight of him sitting on the couch, unharmed.

"What happened?" Lance sat beside Keith as he asked him. He got no response. Not even a head turn in his direction.

"We were talking and everything was going fine but then he grabbed his head and stopped everything. He went blank like that right after- I was about to go get Kolivan or Thace. I don't know what's going on I can't figure it out. He was here one second and then the next-"

"Okay Chorrol, we get it. Calm down." Z went to Chorrol's side, rubbing her hand up and down his arm as she spoke softly. Chorrol's eyes were wide and he was obviously distressed, but he took a breath and tried to get a grip on himself.

"Keith?" Lance spoke once more. Still nothing. Suddenly he was reminded of the time that Keith had been under control of the crystals and he understood what was happening. "Guys." He got their attention. "I think it's alright. The crystal that Keith was possessed by had to be cleansed and the Genopian who took it said that, 'we would know when it was happening.'" He raised a hand and rested it against Keith's back, trailing it in small circles. The sick feeling in his stomach began to ease.

"Are you sure?" Chorrol asked as he sat in the chair beside the couch. He rested his hand on the side closest to Keith, as if he wanted to touch him but didn't think he should.

"We're all right here Keith." Lance whispered. The small group stayed like that for a long while. Chorrol sitting in the chair, tapping his foot and clicking his nails together impatiently. Z, standing at the edge of the room and watching over everything. Lance, sitting by Keith's side and Keith staring straight ahead at nothing, hardly even breathing or blinking.

And then, as he broke out of his trance, Keith let out a soft groan and brought his arms around his stomach. Lance leaned forward to catch his eye but they were squeezed closed.

"Keith?" At Lance's voice Keith's eyes opened. "Hey. They cleaned your crystal just now. You've been zoned out for… a while."

Keith blinked and then looked up. He met Chorrol and Z's eyes before leaning back.

"I'm sorry." Keith said softly.

"Why?" Lance asked with a smile. Keith just looked away.

" _All required personnel please proceed to the command room for the briefing_."

Everyone in the room shared a glance before moving towards the door. As Chorrol and Z exited Lance grabbed a hold of Keith's arm, pulling him back for a moment.

"What was that?"

Keith frowned and looked to the floor. "I wish you didn't have to see that."

Lance was confused. Keith was upset because he had been under control of something that he had no power over and he was sorry that Lance had to see?

"I… I don't…"

"I hurt you when I was like that. I did… Terrible things. I almost…"

"Marked me." Keith's head moved so fast that his hair swung harshly into his eyes. "If that's the terrible thing that you were talking about I think that you should forgive yourself."

"But… Lance." Keith turned his whole body in Lance's direction, squaring his shoulders to him in a way that said 'he meant business.' "If I had marked you then-"

"We would have been mated, blah blah blah." Keith seemed surprised as his eyes widened. "Look. Z just told me about galra mating rituals or whatever. She also told me about Kalans." Lance grabbed Keith's hand. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"T-t-tell you what?"

Lance rolled his eyes.

"Don't play dumb you know what I mean. I've been thinking I was going crazy but it turns out I'm just crazy for you." Lance didn't realize how smooth he was being until the words were already out of his mouth and Keith was blushing. There was a sigh of defeat released from his lips before he let go of Lance's hand and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Look. I didn't know if it worked both ways. I'm only half galra and you're human. This is a galra thing and I thought… for the longest time I was sure that it didn't work on both ends like it was supposed to. I didn't want to tell you because I wanted you to have a choice and I didn't want you to love me just because I would die if you didn't."

 _How did I get so lucky?_

"And you're sure that its not because you were disappointed when you found out it was me who was your Kalan?"

Keith gave him the most horrified look he had seen yet. "Absolutely not!" He grabbed Lance's hand with a soft growl. "Lance. I love-" The word slipped from his lips and he stopped momentarily, as if he hadn't meant to let that particular word out. However, he regained his composure and continued. "You mean the world to me and I'm honored that you are my Kalan."

Slowly Lance brought his arms around Keith's neck and buried his face in his shoulder. "You mean the world to me too." He muttered unintelligibly. Keith's warm hands wrapped around his shoulders and the feeling of heated affection washed over him, melting into the center of his chest and spreading out to the rest of his limbs. He could feel the tingle all the way to his toes.

They stood there for a solid dobash. Lance breathed in the best feeling in the world while in Keith's arms and he tried to pushing his own feelings out like Z said that he could. When Keith's arms relaxed even further he knew that he had succeeded.

"Guys." Z's voice broke their moment. "You're going to be the only ones not at the briefing at this rate. Let's go."

Chorrol's fluffy ears popped around the corner and he snickered at them.

"Come on Ziana. They were having a _bonding moment._ " Z let out a low growl and Chorrol took off down the hall with her at his heels.

They followed after her, hand in hand.

…

The meeting was long and drawn out. Lance had been expecting such but as they approached hour 3 he began to wonder if they would ever be able to leave.

"I am _sure_ that I have seen the affects of these crystals on other planets. Four that I can name! We need to go back to Genopia and learn more about these things and their weaknesses." The rebel leader- Palui- said with as much conviction as the other 11 times he had said it. Lance had been keeping count.

"They don't _have_ any weaknesses. We've told you. Nothing can snap out of it unless the crystal is returned to the original owner." Keith was beginning to get frustrated as he clenched his fists tightly together across the room from Palui.

"Tell me again how you broke out of it then?"

"I didn't, Lance got the crystal back to me."

"And how did you do that if he was hard wired to kill you?" Palui turned his attention to Lance now, who let out a tired sigh.

"I got Keith to stop long enough to get to the galra controlling the crystal."

"How?"

"I just told him to okay?"

"But you just said that there was no way to snap people out!"

"It's different with me and him!"

" _How!?"_

"Because he's my Kalan!"

The shouting ceased suddenly. Keith was holding Lance's shoulder as if to keep his from leaping over the table at Palui while Palui had collapsed back in his chair. Lance didn't want to look at the others so he just sat back down and fiddled with the seams of his armor.

"So, it is possible but only in _impossible_ cases." Palui had a hand over his eyes as he sunk further down his chair.

"We don't need something like that to defeat these crystals." Kolivan's no nonsense voice rang over the assembly.

"But if we must fight against the very race we are trying to save it will make things difficult." Allura's lilting voice joined Kolivan's and together they sounded like true leaders. Lance didn't know how they were still talking about this with a calm head. He just wanted to get back on the castle, get in his PJs, and go to bed. Maybe bring Keith with him…

Cuddles did sound nice…

"Exactly my point. Maybe the Genopians have some secret neutralizing device. They were able to break your bond after all." Palui gestured to Keith vaguely as he turned back to Kolivan.

There was a moment or two of a thoughtful silence and then Pidge chimed in, Matt by her side.

"Let's just go back. What's it gonna hurt?"

"I agree." Lance quickly stood, seeing an opportunity of escape. Hunk seconded the motion and within a minute the paladins and everyone who wasn't a direct leader had been dismissed. That left Kolivan, Allura, and Palui to drone on endlessly at their own expense.

Hunk, Pidge, and Matt were further ahead. Behind them Lance was on Keith's left, Chorrol on his right as they headed towards the castle of Lions.

"That was ridiculous." Lance muttered to himself, glad to be free.

"Yeah, Palui really likes to beat a point to death until he gets his way, but you get used to it."

"I don't know Chorrol, that guy is crazy."

"Pot meet Kettle."

"Hey!" Lance shoved Chorrol playfully and noticed that Keith had fallen behind. He turned around and saw that Keith was a few paces back. "You coming?"

"You know, I'll be there in a second. I just want to grab something before we go."

"I'll wait for you by the castle." Lance continued on with Chorrol, joking softly. "What do you think he's doing?

"10 GAC says he's going to go get Pippy."

"The hippo? I don't have 10 GAC."

"A favor then. Winner gets to ask a favor whenever for whatever they want."

Lance narrowed his eyes. "Deal." Keith wouldn't bring his hippo on the ship, right? It was safer here and he was probably just grabbing something like his own clothes or PJs. It was a safe bet and Lance was sure that he would win.

"Nice, I'll start thinking up your 'favor.'" Chorrol smiled evilly and rubbed his hands together.

Now what in the world could that mean? Lance gulped as they took the last few steps to the castle ship, turning to wait for Keith.

"So, Lance…"

"Hmm?"

"You and Keith?"

"…Yeah?"

"You know about Kalans and all that so…?"

"So? Chorrol, what are you trying to say?"

A wide smile curled onto Chorrol's lips as he leaned closer. "Are you courting?" Lance felt his face begin to warm as he stuttered out an answer.

"W-Well, I only just found out…"

"And what do you think?"

"About Keith being my soul mate?"

"Yes!" Chorrol was by his side, shaking his shoulder in excitement.

"I think… It's pretty nice."

"Pretty nice?" Chorrol questioned him with indignant surprise. It made Lance reconsider his words for a moment. Pretty nice couldn't even begin to describe what he was feeling right now. Pretty nice was a B+ on a big test. This warm feeling that had settled in his heart and the absolute and complete happiness he felt when he thought of Keith was so much more than… nice.

"No." Lance raised his gaze to meet Chorrol's. "I think it's one of the best things that has ever happened to me."

For the first time in a while Chorrol stopped speaking. He leaned back with a large grin on his face.

"It looks like you own me a big fat favor." Chorrol gestured over Lance's shoulder, prompting him to turn around.

Keith was walking towards them with a satchel hanging off of his shoulder. Hanging half out of the opening was the head of a gray hippo with yellow button eyes. Lance pouted at Chorrol.

"Damnit."

"What are you guys doing?" Keith asked when he was within speaking distance.

"Oh nothing." Chorrol said, nudging Lance with his elbow and giving him a wink. Lance caught on and gave him a crooked grin back.

Keith narrowed his eyes at either of them but didn't fight them. "Let's get going then."

Lance waved bye to Chorrol and started towards the ship that would bring them back to the castle. Keith and Chorrol said their farewells, giving a brief embrace before going their separate ways. The jealousy was much easier to curb now that Lance knew Keith was his and his only.

Keith joined him in the ship and they traveled back to the castle. Once inside they greeted the others who explained that they were going to bed.

"Yeah, me too. I'm exhausted." Lance stretched his arms over his head.

"Oh hey, Lance?" Pidge's curious voice called his attention.

"Hmm?"

"In that meeting you said you were Keith's Kalan, what does that mean?"

Lance peeked over at Keith and saw his cheeks heat up.

"Yeah, I heard that too." Hunk added from behind her. Matt just raised an eyebrow at either of them. Keith gave Lance a shy shrug that translated to, 'It's up to you if you want to tell them.'

"It's the galra equivalent of a soul mate. Anyways goodnight!" Snatching Keith's hand and pulling him down the hall Lance tried to ignore the sound of Hunk's surprised shout of 'hold on' and Pidge's amused wolf whistle.

They rounded a turn and Keith tugged him back a bit to slow him down. "You know she isn't going to let this go." He said with a smirk.

"Yeah but I don't want to go through her interrogation right now. Let's just… You're staying the night with me, right?" Lance cocked an eyebrow, wondering momentarily if Keith had been thinking that at all or if this was breaking some sort of Galran courting rule.

"Can I?" Keith seemed excited by the idea, almost surprised that Lance had even brought it up.

"Yes. Obviously. Do you need to get anything from your room?"

"Not really." Keith gestured to the bag hanging from his shoulder with the hand that wasn't gripped in Lance's. "I got everything I needed back on the base."

"Good." Lance lead the way to his room with a bright smile on his face. He stepped into the thresh hold and dropped Keith's hand so that he could grab some clothes from his Altean dresser. He was about to run to the bathroom to change and get ready to sleep when he noticed Keith out of the corner of his eye. He seemed almost lost.

"Keith?" Keith snapped his gaze towards Lance with an open expression on his face, one that was hard to read. "You okay?"

Keith nodded and set his bag down at the foot of the small cot-like bed. He pulled out Pippy and held her, just looked at her with his lips held in a taunt line. Lance frowned and placed his clothes on the small desk that Coran had shown him how to pull out of the wall. He sat by Keith's side but Keith continued to stared at his hippo plush.

"That doesn't seem like an okay face." Lance commented, waiting for a response. When he didn't get one he leaned back on his hands and stated off-handedly, "If staying the night breaks some Galra code or you're uncomfortable or something, you don't have to stay." He hoped that he had kept his voice from betraying the slightly disappointment he felt. Then he wondered if Keith could feel it through their link and if it was even worth trying to hide.

"I want to stay its just…" Keith lifted up Pippy's stubby arms and moved them around as he mulled over what to say next. "It's strange. Last night I dreamt everything went so horribly wrong and I lost-" He choked up a bit and cleared his throat. "It's like I walked straight out of my worst nightmare to the best day dream I could ever imagine." Keith finally turned so that he could see Lance's face once again. "Do you get it?"

Lance smiled. "Yeah. I do."

They shared a tender moment with tender smiles and tender feelings. Lance let himself get lost in Keith's amethyst eyes as affection swelled in his chest.

"Let's get ready for bed." Lance grabbed his clothes back off of the desk and waited for Keith to dig out some sleep ware of his own. He set Pippy at the head of the bed before they left.

When they returned their armor was put away and drowsiness was beginning to set in like a soft fog on a cool morning.

Keith collapsed on the bed first, grabbing Pippy and rolling her into his arms before rolling onto his side and facing the wall.

Lance pouted. He had been expecting at least a little enthusiasm for cuddling, but it seemed the only thing Keith intended on cuddling was _her._

 _Come on Lance. Don't get jealous of a plushie. Keith is probably just new to the whole cuddling concept. Or maybe he just doesn't want to overstep any boundaries… Should we talk about that?_

 _Later. Sleep now, worry about all that relationship stuff later._

Lance thought having a soulmate would make this whole 'first date' phase of do's and don't's easier, but he was wrong. It would seem every relationship, no matter how destined it was to be, had to be talked about and communicated with the partner.

Lance sat on the edge of the bed and tried to decide how to go about this. There wasn't a lot of room to begin with and now Keith was taking up most of it.

"Scoot." Lance pushed at Keith's back. He rolled over until his hands were touching the wall and half of the bed was open. Lance took that opportunity to pull the covers up and slide under them, struggling a bit when they wouldn't budge.

Keith was on top of them.

"Keith are you getting under?"

"No, I'm already warm."

Okay then, guess he would have to work around it. No biggie, right?

He managed to get under the covers but his knees made them hover just above the mattress, letting a cool draft of air under the blanket.

He groaned.

"Keith can you lift up for a second."

As soon as his name left Lance's lips a fleeting feeling of embarrassment invaded his mind, but it was snapped back the moment he registered what it was.

"You know that there is no reason to be embarrassed?" Lance laid on his side to face Keith and was met his scrunched shoulders.

"I was hoping you didn't catch that…" He muttered. Lance rolled his eyes.

"Have you ever cuddled before?" Lance asked.

"Obviously not." Keith retorted, raw with defensive embarrassment.

"Well don't worry about it then. It might be more comfortable though seeing as this bed isn't very big."

"Actually." Keith finally rolled over. It took a few short, calculated turns to do so without crushing Lance but he managed to finally look him in the eyes. "Can I get on the outside?"

Without a word Lance pulled himself off of the bed and waited for Keith to crawl out. He left Pippy in the top corner, above either of their pillows. Once he was out Lance climbed in and got comfortable under the cover. He stopped moving and looked expectantly up at Keith who was biting his plush lower lip and rolling it between his fangs.

"Here." Lance held his arms out for Keith to fall into. There was a hint of skepticism in his eyes but he eventually folded and like an uncertain cat he cautiously approached. He stayed on top of the covers as he fell into Lance's outstretched hands. He settled and the longer he glared directly into Lance's face the darker his cheeks got. He eventually turned onto his other side so that his back was to Lance's chest and he pulled Lance's hands into his own and cradled them to his own chest, finally seeming satisfied with the positioning.

Lance hummed contentedly as Keith's warmth radiated off of him in waves and said softly into Keith's hair, "Goodnight."

"Dulces sueños." He whispered back, making Lance's mind sing as he drifted off into an easy slumber.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading so far! luv yall**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Keith and Lance were making their way to breakfast the next morning when Pidge stopped them in their tracks.

"Explain."

The two of them shared a glance before turning back to the little gremlin before them. She didn't give them a chance to answer before she was launching into a volley of questions.

"You said a Kalan was a Galra 'soulmate' right? What does that mean? Do you guys have superpowers when you're together or something? Did you know the whole time? Are you dating now? Or are you just automatically married?"

"Pidge-"

"Is there going to be PDA on this ship!?" Pidge pointed her finger at them with this statement and narrowed her eyes. "If you guys get gross and gooey I'm gonna kick my foot so far up-"

"Woah!" Hunk's deep voice called out from behind Pidge as he walked a bit faster towards the group. "What's happening here?"

"I want answers!" Pidge's small but intimidating form demanded.

"We aren't married and we won't 'PDA' around you." Lance said as he rolled his eyes.

"Lance…" Keith whispered and leaned closer as his eyes darted around the others. "What's a PDA?"

Lance smiled. His poor alien soulmate had a lot to learn. "Personal display of affection. Hand holding, kissing, hugging."

"Oh. So, we won't do that… around Pidge?"

"She doesn't like it, but we can do it when she isn't around if you want-"

"I'm standing right here!"

"Okay guys!" Hunk stepped between everyone with his hands up in a placating manner. "I made breakfast, why don't we all go eat?"

"But I have more quest-"

"Ah-ah-ah, ask and eat. Ask and eat." Hunk began to push Pidge in the direction of the dinning room. She grumbled but picked up her feet and complied. Keith and Lance followed behind. They hadn't even been awake for an hour and they had already been attacked by the Pidgeon.

Lance nudged Keith's shoulder with his own and smiled. "Guess we'll be playing 20 questions over our Hunk improved space goo."

"She seems pretty serious about getting her answers."

"She's the paladin of the green lion for a reason." They both laughed, the feeling of contentment bouncing back and forth between them.

When at breakfast Pidge had to be reminded to eat as she grilled the two of them for details. And then she had to be reminded politely by the princess that she shouldn't yell with a mouth full of food. Then she was told that some questions were off limits and that if she kept talking about it that Keith would probably spontaneously combust.

All in all, it was a relatively eventful breakfast that involved embarrassment and outing themselves to the entire team, but it wasn't too bad. Everyone was pretty much their family after all. Though there was some concern about how this relationship would be progressing and evolving in the middle of a space war everyone was still happy for them.

Before everyone left the table Allura informed them that they would be worm holing shortly and the other groups would be following through. They would be landing on Genopia within the hour and the paladins needed to be ready to be planet side before then.

As a group the paladins suited up and started towards the lion's hangars, but two of them stayed back.

Red and Blue stood in a private hallway and began to carry a soft conversation.

"So, I was thinking last night about like, relationship stuff, and I guess I have some questions?" Lance rubbed at the back of his neck nervously as he voiced his thoughts.

"Was that a question too?" Keith smirked, teasing him in a way that made some of the tension in his shoulders fade.

"Yeah, yeah, smart ass. But really."

"Ask away then."

Lance took a breath. "So, I know we're all 'soulmates for life' and everything, but last night it was awkward and neither of us really knew what was happening and I thought we should maybe… I don't know- set boundaries or something. Or talk about what we're cool with and what we aren't." Lance's eyes had wandered over every part of the hall before they came back to Keith's face.

"Oh. Yeah. Okay."

Lance hummed his affirmation and continued. "Good, so…" In a matter of two words Lance's face grew darker and he lowered his head into his hands to hide his cheeks. "Nope not good. This is still really awkward."

"I'll start." Keith offered. Lance just nodded. "I'm cool with sharing a bed."

"Me too." Lance sighed out his nerves and forced himself to look up.

"Cuddles are okay but I get really hot and can't keep on the covers _and_ you all night. Also, I get really embarrassed about it and I liked it when you started it."

"See- That's really good to know! I got really hot too, so maybe next time we won't use the blanket at all." Keith hummed his agreement.

"You're turn."

"Uh. Okay, I'm cool with hand holding. Actually, I would really like it if we held hands. Not around Pidge because it really bothers her, but just in general."

Keith grabbed his hand.

They stared at each other for exactly two second before they both began to laugh, tearing their hands away.

"Not right now then?" Keith asked with a smile.

"Maybe when we're done talking, that was kind of weird. It's your turn by the way."

"I'm fine with just going along with Human courting traditions instead of galra."

"Seriously? That's a pretty big thing, Keith." Lance looked genuinely surprised at this news.

"Yeah, it seems like human courting is less complicated and I figure both of us are at least part human so it makes sense."

"Are you sure you don't want to mix and match or something?" Lance pushed. Keith could tell how much it meant to him so he took a second to run over everything one more time.

"You know, there is one thing that I want to keep from the Galra tradition."

"What?"

"Hunk told me that the humans have divorce. Galra don't. We can't because the loss of a mate is unsurvivable. They have to work through all of their problems and find compromises. I'd like to keep that Galran aspect if you don't mind." When Keith looked at Lance, he could see his mind working in over drive. He didn't say anything for a while and it was almost to the point of making Keith regret speaking at all when Lance finally opened his mouth.

"You know Keith, if it was anyone else, I don't know how I would feel. But it's you, and I can't think of a better person to be stuck with forever." With a smile Lance melted away Keith's fears. "So, are hugs good?"

"As long as there is warning."

"Hey, I'm warning you that the hug train has arrived." Lance closed the distance and his armor clanged against Keith's in a short embrace. It wasn't very comfortable with the neck pieces awkwardly connecting but it was the thought that counted.

"We should start walking to the hangars or else we'll be late."

"But we aren't done?" Lance pulled away to look Keith in the eyes as he spoke.

"I've never noticed that walking rendered you speechless." Keith commented sarcastically and started moving, tossing a smirk over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Lance shouted and caught up, punching Keith lightly in the shoulder. "It does not!"

"I see that."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence between them before Keith spoke. "I really like it when you rub my ears but you can't do it when other people are around."

"Is that some sort of galra thing?"

"Yeah. It's a really intimate action done only with close family or a mate and is almost always done in private."

"Oh, wow sorry. Won't happen again."

"It's fine, you didn't know."

Another moment of silence, this time interrupted by Lance. "I'm not ready for sex."

"I'm so glad you said that." Keith let out a loud puff of air he seemed to have been holding and glanced at Lance. He looked surprised, confused. "I'm not ready either." Keith elaborated. "I've never done anything like that, and when galra have sex sometimes they go uh… A little off. Mostly if it's their first time because of the mate marking process."

"What do you mean by off?" Lance said an octave higher than his normal voice.

"Possessive. Aggressive towards others… some of them act feral during… Well you know." Keith tapped against the helmet he held in his arms.

"Do you think you will? You know, cause you're only half galra?"

"I don't think I'll be _feral_ , but I know that I'll really want to mark you and I'm afraid of what will happen if I want to and you don't."

"Oh," was the only word Lance supplied. Keith averted his gaze, watching his boots click against the floor. "Hey." Lance's hand pulled his away from the helmet and tugged him to a stop. "This is why we're talking about these things. I'm not ready in general. I mean. I haven't even kissed a guy yet and I've only ever kissed a girl once. Maybe by the time we're ready we will both have grown and learned a bit about ourselves. Maybe I'll even be ready for the mark." Lance pushed reassurance to Keith and saw his eyes soften as he felt it.

"You're getting really good at that." Keith finally met his eyes. "And you're right. We have time, so there's no need to worry."

"Look at us, talking things out like we know what we're doing." Lance nudged him and threw an arm over his shoulder. They were getting closer now, maybe just a dobash away from joining the others in the command room that lead to the hangars.

"Speed round, go."

"Uh."

"How do you feel about pet names?" When Keith gave him a confused look Lance explained. "Cutie, babe, sweetie, love, mi cielo, precioso-"

"D-depends on the situation." Keith's face had turned bright red and his words were shaky.

"Well I'm cool with it if you toss any of those back at me."

"Okay, I like it when you explain human things to me and don't make me feel dumb when I don't get it."

"You aren't dumb for not understanding a culture you've never been a part of before."

"And I don't feel like that when you're around."

"Good. I probably should have asked this 30 seconds ago, but what about casual friendly touches like this?" He wiggled the arm he had swung over Keith's shoulder. Keith nodded.

"Kissing?" Lance asked next.

"Yes." Keith answered much faster than he had with any of the other questions.

"Now?" As soon as Lance asked, they turned corner to the command room and caught sight of the others. Pidge included. "Not now." Lance answered himself.

"Later?" Keith asked boldly. A goofy grin spread across Lance's face and he nodded as he pulled his arm back from Keith's shoulders.

"It's a date."

They joined the others in the command room and watched the castle sink into the worm hole that Allura had created before moving along to their respective lion hangars.

They reached Genopia within 10 dobashes of making contact with the planet. Rebels, Blades, and members of Voltron alike joined together to meet the Genopian contact. They seemed a little overwhelmed at first, but took it in stride and directed them to a near by tunnel for shelter from the blasting sands around them. A group of five more Genopians joined them as they followed the first down through the winding rocks.

When Keith saw the glowing orange crystals, he didn't feel the same comfort that he enjoyed before. Now all he could think about was how deceitful they were. Soft and glowing and innocent. Helpful, even, in his time of need, only to turn into his downfall when he needed help the most. He made sure to keep his distance and walk in the middle of the path. Though they couldn't affect him without skin to skin contact, he would still rather not have any interaction with them at all.

They walked long enough that they could no longer hear the howling winds from outside. Instead their ears caught sounds of low humming and laughter. They passed by a few open chambers that held families of Genopians. Some had lakes not unlike the one that Keith and Lance had crashed into. Most of them had carved out nooks in the rock that resembled homes.

The entire atmosphere of this underground world had changed in a matter of days. No more repression and anger. Just family and growth.

The group of Genopians leading the way stopped in front of a closed door, one of the only doors that Keith had seen thus far. One of them traced a pattern onto its surface and the door cracked open, shaking and shuddering until there was an opening wide enough for them to fit through.

One by one they filtered into the room which held a massive red crystal in the center. It was growing out of the ceiling and was hundreds of feet long and hundreds wide at the base. However, it tapered down to a point in the center of the room, a few feet above the ground. Directly below it there was a pedestal of orange crystal just shy a foot of touching it.

As soon as Keith stepped into the room he felt sick, nausea washing over him. The glow of the orange crystal throbbed as if to greet him and when he saw he wanted to turn around and leave.

A sturdy hand gripped his armor and he found one of the Genopians was guiding him forward. He couldn't be sure but if he had to guess it might have been the Genopian who helped him give up his crystal before.

They guided him closer to the center of the room past where everyone else was standing. Every step closer to the crystal had his stomach turning and his body aching. He started sweating as a heat over took him and, finally, he was standing directly before the crystal.

"Touch the orange and red stone at the same time. Your crystal is in the pedestal and has been cleansed, but you have not."

"Please stay back sir." A voice sounded from somewhere behind him. When he glanced back, he saw a Genopian holding Lance back. He was looking worriedly at Keith as he tried to push past the large alien.

Realizing that Lance could probably feel how the crystal was affecting Keith he closed their connection as best he could and turned back to the imposing rock before him.

With no reason not to trust the Genopian he pulled off both of his gloves and placed his hands on the crystals.

At first nothing happened. He stood there, nauseas, sweating, and pinned in place by all of the eyes on his back.

Then the world stopped existing. Everything faded away and he was standing on nothing, breathing in nothing, seeing _nothing_. Silence existed, he existed.

He existed.

He couldn't move.

A light flickered before him and he tried to blink when it brightened but he continued to stare.

He couldn't move.

Images rushed before him. They were familiar but he had never seen them before.

The point of view was strange and, in his mind, he knew that it was his own. He was standing and staring forward. There was nothing in front of him but a dark hallway and he knew that he had been going somewhere.

Suddenly Lance was rushing past him.

Keith wanted to reach out and touch him.

He couldn't move.

" _What are you doing Keith!"_

Lance's voice echoed and Keith wasn't sure if it was the light making the sound, or if it was his mind supplying the words that Lance's lips formed as he skidded to a halt.

Lance's gaze turned to something over Keith's shoulder and his face contorted into one of rage.

" _Paladins. Or rather paladin. The other one isn't really here right now."_

The words were chilling for a reason his mind couldn't supply. They hadn't come from Lance, someone else had spoken them with a deep smooth tone.

" _What did you do to him?!"_

Who?

Keith wanted to turn around and see who Lance was talking too.

He couldn't move.

" _You obviously didn't come to this planet very informed. Do you even know what this is?"_

Lance came closer to Keith in a protective manner. Keith tried to ask him who was talking, but to no avail.

" _Ah-ah-ah_. _I wouldn't do that if I were you._ Lance froze. _Sentries, stand down. Go and quell that little rebellion that the Genopians think they can get away with."_ Metallic footsteps faded away. _"You may have noticed that the Genopians never touched these crystals with their bare skin while mining."_

Was this about his crystal? Where did he leave it again? He needed it.

" _These crystals are special. They have healing properties and bind themselves to an owner-"_

Lance looked into Keith's eyes, but he couldn't match his gaze which was focused on a point further up the passage.

Then Keith was moving. Lance was tugging him to a side passage and Keith didn't even get the chance to see who Lance had been talking to before he was collapsing to the ground, his knees feeling nonexistent beneath him.

All of his body feeling nonexistent.

Lance waved his hand in front of Keith's face but the words Keith tried to use to reassure him didn't move from his thoughts. They didn't exist.

He couldn't move.

" _Keith come on-"_

" _You're not going to be able to speak to him. He can't hear you."_

I can hear you. He's lying.

Keith wanted to be mad but his emotions were just out of reach, right beside his voice.

" _You fix him right now!"_

Dark laughter met Lance's outburst.

" _Now why would I do that? I think I'll just-"_

Pain.

He could feel every nerve ending in his entire body seize and burn at once. His voice spilled out of his lips suddenly in a scream and his knees shot into his chest in a spasm. Vaguely he could make out Lance's voice under his own.

" _Stop! What are you doing!"_ And just like that the pain stopped. He couldn't speak or feel anything. He knew that he was breathing heavy but he didn't feel like he was in control of his lungs.

He couldn't move.

" _I'm showing you what these crystals are capable of."_

Lance was scrambling for a solution. He could see it in his eyes as he fought desperately for an answer. He took a heavy step towards the voice of the man and then suddenly all of the pain was back again and Keith's screams were surging forward.

Lance stopped. The pain stopped.

" _This isn't even the best part."_

 **Trap Him**

The anger that surged threw him felt artificial and wrong.

He couldn't move as his body stood and tackled Lance to the ground and sat heavily on his stomach, growling in the back of his throat and baring his teeth. Couldn't feel anything as he grabbed Lance's arms and pinned them over his head, his shoulder cracking, causing Lance to scream and his eyes to pinch shut.

" _You see, the crystals bind to a person like a mate is bound to a Kalan. You look pretty dense so I'll explain."_

Lance. Kalan. This was his Kalan that he was hurting. His friend whose cheeks were darkening to a color he couldn't discern with his fully Galran eyes. But even with his Galran eyes he could see the acute fear shining back at him. Could see his sharp teeth and pupil-less eyes reflected in Lance's shiny tears.

There was a new figure on the edge of his vision. He could only see his armored feet. He tried to look up.

He couldn't move.

" _When I hold this crystal, I can tell the bonded to do something and they will do it. No ifs ands or buts. It's amazing really. And just like a Kalan I don't even have to speak out loud. I just think something and then It's happening. Perfect for uncooperative races."_

The words were meaningless to him. The only thing that mattered was keeping Lance still.

" _Keith."_

Lance's voice quivered and he tried to call back.

" _I told you he can't hear you. Anyways. I'm getting bored so I think I'll move this along."_

I can hear him! He's lying Lance!

 **Kill Him.**

No!

He couldn't move.

The artificial anger was back, pumping into his mind. He fought it. He wasn't angry at Lance, he loved him.

" _Come on now,"_ the deep voice growled.

 **Kill. Him.**

He couldn't move as he released Lance's hands and wrapped his fingers around Lance's neck. His other hand braced against the floor by his head.

He couldn't move.

 **Kill Him.**

Anger.

Blue eyes.

Kalan. His love. His soul.

He should squeeze. Choke him.

He should kiss him.

He moved his hand away from his Kalan's neck, leaning down to nuzzle at the mate mark. There was fabric in the way. He mouthed over it, feeling his Kalan shudder. He couldn't feel any scar build up. Where was the mate mark? Why hadn't he been marked yet?

He grazed his teeth over the spot, feeling them almost vibrate in anticipation.

" _Keith."_

That was his mate's voice. It was wavering and unsteady like he was upset. Why? Was it because they weren't fully bonded?

He could fix that.

He pushed down harder against the fabric. In an instant his mate whimpered.

" _Keith! This isn't you."_

Yes, it is. He was here. Somewhere. And his other half was right below him. Soon they would be whole, they would feel whole with the mark finally in place. Why hadn't he done it sooner? Why-

There was a hand on his chest.

It pushed him away.

It belonged to his other half.

The anger didn't feel so artificial any more as he let out a furious growl. Was his soul mate _rejecting him_?

When he glared down at his Kalan though he didn't see rejection. He saw fear. Terror even.

It broke his heart.

 **Kill HIM!**

-How _dare_ his Kalan break his heart like that! He would have given him _everything. Anything._ He loved him with his entire _being_ but that wasn't enough.

He couldn't move as one of his hand roughly pinned his mate's hips to the ground and the other wrapped tightly around his throat. His hand covered his entire neck and his Kalan's human hands didn't even fit all the way around his wrist.

Anger. Fury.

Hurt.

Drool started to run out of his mouth as he slapped at Keith's arm pathetically. His mouth opened and closed in an attempt to pull in air through a blocked airway. His eyes seemed unfocused but he forced himself to look at Keith. He could see how scared he was.

Suddenly though, he was feeling it.

The terror slammed into him like nothing before and his heart started to race and his lungs stopped and all of the anger from before was replaced with fear and loathing at the knowledge that _he_ was making his soul mate feel this.

He pulled his hand from Lance's throat like it burned and pushed off of him. Lance rolled to the side, coughing and hacking and breathing in large gulps of air.

" _What are you doing! Kill him! You had it, just a few seconds longer and he would be dead!"_ Keith could see the Galra man now. A commander based on the armor. He was holding Keith's crystal.

Lance pushed himself up shakily and grabbed something from the ground.

" _Oh no you don't!"_ Keith watched blankly as the galra raised his crystal up threateningly. When Lance didn't stop moving, he dug his sharp nails deep into the crystal.

Pain. Again.

It had him curling in on himself and pinching his eyes.

And screaming. So much screaming.

And then it was over and he could see again. There was Lance, holding Keith's Bayard, blocking the commander's sword. His other arm hung limply by his side and Keith knew, he could just tell, that Lance wasn't going to win this fight. Something in him could see how weak he was, how tired.

His crystal was on the ground, but that didn't matter.

He was moving.

Lance managed to push the blade to the side and gain a moment of reprieve before the commander raised his own sword up and sneered.

 _"You piece of-"_

And in that moment Keith broke through and tackled the commander to the ground. It took everything he had to do that and he found himself out of motivation once he was on the ground. Once again, he was immobile, but this time he was useful- keeping the commander on the ground with his dead weight alone.

He watched blankly as the commander stretched his fingers to grab Keith's crystal by his side. He could hear a swishing sound behind him to his left where Lance was before a sword was swinging down hard onto the commander's outstretched arm.

The sound of bone meeting metal was sickening and the screams were piercing.

Lance snatched the crystal from the commander's useless hand and stared at Keith. After a moment he shook his head, as if remembering something, and placed the crystal on his cheek.

 **Follow me.**

Keith couldn't move, but he followed Lance. He shoved Keith's Bayard into his hand and Keith grabbed it.

They made it around the corner when Lance ran into Hunk. They spoke quickly, Lance sounding relieved to have found another paladin.

Keith just awaited his next order.

 _"Where are your helmets?"_

 _"I'll get them. Tell the others that we'll meet them in the main mine."_

With that Lance was pulling him away. They went into a holding cell where two helmets laid on the floor. Lance picked one up and tossed the other to Keith.

He didn't catch it.

He bent down to pick it up, because that had been the point, right? For him to hold the helmet.

Lance approached him like he was dangerous. He was shorter than Keith right now, which was strange. Lance was surely taller than him. Keith's human form was short after… He wasn't human right now? He was Galra.

Lance stood half a step away appraising him. When he met Keith's eye he shuddered and looked away. The dejection was easy to read.

So was the way his slumped shoulders suddenly straightened and his head snapped up. He had an idea. Lance pulled Keith's crystal from his pocket. Without ceremony he slapped it against Keith's bare skin and suddenly-

He didn't exist anymore.

His vision blacked out instantly and all sound disappeared.

He wasn't standing on anything. There was nothing around him.

He couldn't move.

It was numbing. The loss of sense. It wasn't like floating or anything peaceful.

It was terrifying.

It was terrifying to not exist.

The panic had only a moment to set in before his vision returned.

He was standing in front of a massive red crystal, an orange crystal pedestal below it. His hands were touching both. He was panting. His heart was racing. His chest was hurting.

But he could move.

He forced himself to turn around and meet the room's eyes. All were on him. He wondered for a moment if the Genopians knew anything about privacy, but all of his thoughts halted when he saw Lance. He was in the same place as before, a Genopian holding him back with a hand on his chest plate and a worried look on his face.

Keith tried to shoot him a reassuring smile but felt his knees weaken and give out a bit. The Genopian by his side stopped him from falling to the floor and he thanked them quietly.

Lance and Hunk both rushed over, quickly followed by Pidge and Shiro. Thace and Kolivan were next, then Chorrol. At some point the entire group just shifted closer.

"Are you alright?" Hunk asked and pulled him the rest of his way to his feet. Lance handed Keith his gloves which he had thrown to the ground earlier and Keith quickly put them on. There was no way he was risking touching another damn crystal.

"Yeah." Keith answered Hunk, forcing himself to stand tall. Lance put his hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Lance asked Keith, as if he knew the answer.

The Genopian answered for him, "He just saw everything that the crystal blocked from his memory. Everything that happened while he was under its control."

Lance grit his teeth but didn't remove his hand. A show of forgiveness.

"So, he just got his memories back?" Pidge confirmed. The Genopian nodded.

"Can you explain how that works?" Pauli, the rebel leader spoke up.

"The red crystal, which we call the Lark, acks like a key to the Polenit crystals, the orange ones." When a few people raised their eyebrows at the vague description the Genopian continued. "We believe that at one point all of the polenit crystals were connected to the Lark. Eventually a piece of the Lark broke off and the piece that landed in the ground spread itself to other parts of our planet. When a polenit crystal binds to a person it has various affects- Healing, DNA modification, and mind control. The Lark doesn't change those things, it just shows the polenit user what's been happening behind the scenes."

"And how did you cleanse his crystal?" Pauli asked.

"We bound it to the Lark to weaken the connection, then we soaked it in a dissolving fluid until all traces of DNA were removed. Then we rebound it to the Lark, which reset it."

There was silence. No one moved except to share uneasy glances with the ones beside them. This was going to be difficult.

Even if they could find a way to get crystals away from Galra soldiers, the process of cleansing them was long and tedious.

"Are there more of these Lark stones?" Kolivan asked.

The Genopian shook their head. "No, this is the only one and it is revered in our culture."

"Would you mind if I ran some tests on it?" Pidge asked. The Genopian seemed wary. "I won't hurt it or anything, I would just bring some equipment down and hook it up, read its vitals or whatever."

"I suppose that would be acceptable."

Pidge grinned. "Great. Me and my team will get started on bringing it down."

Boy did they have their work set out for them.


End file.
